The high-tech way to protect your logins that’s better than 2FA
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is becoming standard across all your devices and accounts, and for good reason. It’s easy to use and one of four ways to protect yourself from hackers and scammers.
2FA usually consists of two things: something you know (like a password) and something you have (like a smartphone). It can even involve who you are (a thumbprint or facial scan).
There’s a way to make 2FA even more secure. Until just last week, it was only available on Android phones. Now you can protect your iPhone logins as well.
The key to better security
Physical security keys are small devices that provide extra protection against unauthorized access to your accounts. They can work with your computer and phone via a physical or wireless connection. Even if someone gets a hold of your password, they wouldn’t be able to access your account without the physical key.
On top of that, these keys don’t work on fraudulent websites, so they protect you against phishing attacks.
It works like this: you enter your password and then use your physical key to log in to your accounts. Unlike a PIN code sent to your phone, this can’t be intercepted by an attacker.
Security keys are supported by Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook and now Apple. They can work via USB, Bluetooth, near-field communication (NFC) and, in the case of Apple, a Lightning connection. Here’s how to set up this important tool for your iPhone or Android phone.
Security key compatibility was introduced with iOS 16.3, which was released last week. Here are more important features that came along with the update.
Set up a security key for your Android phone
- Log in to your Google account at myaccount.google.com.
- Select Security from the left pane and then 2-Step Verification.
- Choose Security Key under Add more second steps to verify it’s you.
- Select Add security key and choose Physical.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to add your physical security key.
Set up a security key for your iPhone
The real danger of those seemingly harmless online quizzes
Social media is an excellent way to stay connected, but sometimes you inadvertently share more than you should. They might seem innocent, but hundreds of quizzes are going around that can expose sensitive information. It’s best to opt for an auditory illusion like this one, which doesn’t require personal answers.
Update your browser now to protect your computer from hackers
Browsers are used by nearly everyone with a smartphone or computer. As such, that makes them ideal targets for hackers and cybercriminals who want to hit the maximum number of victims at once. In fact, it’s such a problem that websites are now required to show whether connections are secure by default.