If you’re not yet familiar with two factor authentication, you will be after this cautionary tale.
The first thing I saw when I woke this morning was a WhatsApp message from a friend whose Facebook account was hacked and unsure what to do.
As well as in business, I’ve been helping family and friends for 30 years with technical issues.
This is what happens when you know too much about certain subjects; however, there wasn’t much I could do to help on this occasion.
Due to the nature of the hack, the only thing I could suggest was getting in touch with Facebook Support, which he’d already done.
The pain was tangible!
The hacker had taken over their account and was spamming everyone in their contact list about how they’d invested in Bitcoin and come out with £10,000 from a £500 investment.
At one point, I remember them saying “I never thought it would happen to me!”, which is an all too frequently used phrase in these days of cybercrime.
I checked back this afternoon to see if they’d heard anything. They hadn’t!
I wasn’t surprised it can often take days, sometimes weeks to retrieve a hacked social media account or hacked website.
During our conversation, I mentioned two factor authentication to him or 2FA, as it is more widely known, and the benefits of using it. I said when they got their account back, I’d help them set up 2FA and show them how it works.
So, as usual, this got me thinking about writing an article, to help spread awareness of the need to improve our online security, both in our professional and personal lives.
In today’s digital world, protecting your online accounts from unauthorised access is more important than ever.
One of the best ways to do this is to use two factor authentication (2FA).
What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?
2FA adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts by requiring you to enter a 6-digit code from your phone, in addition to your password when you log in. This code is sent to your phone via text message or generated by an authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator.
So, even if someone steals your password, they will not be able to access your account without the code from your phone. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to access your accounts, even if they have your username and password.
2FA is available for many popular online accounts, including email, banking, social media, and shopping sites. It is easy to set up and use, and it can provide a significant increase in security for your accounts.
Here are some of the benefits of using 2FA:
- It makes it much more difficult for hackers to access your accounts.
- It can help to protect your personal information, such as your bank account numbers and credit card information.
- It can help to prevent fraud and identity theft.
- It can give you peace of mind knowing that your accounts are more secure.
If you are not already using 2FA, I encourage you to set it up for all your online accounts.
It is a simple and effective way to improve your online security.
Here are some additional tips for using 2FA:
- Use a strong password for your authenticator app.
- Keep your phone secure.
- Do not share your 2FA codes with anyone.
- If you lose your phone, disable 2FA for your accounts and then set it up again on your new phone.
By following these tips, you can help to keep your online accounts more secure.
As an added safety tip, try to have at least two admins on your Facebook Business Page, LinkedIn Business Page and any other online platforms that support multiple admin features. It can help reduce the chances of losing your account if the account becomes locked or inaccessible for some reason.