![]() Two-factor puts a smart lock on your digital accounts. And if one of your accounts is part of a massive data leak-like the recent hack of over a billion Yahoo! accounts-anyone could easily log into any of your accounts that use the same passwords. If you want to hack an online account, it's trivial to try common passwords and phrases over and again until you find the right combination without anyone noticing. With digital accounts, most of us are terrible at creating unique passwords- 91% of passwords used online are common passwords like 12345. Or they could pick the lock or just kick the door in-something they're less likely to do especially in a busy area during the day. To break into your home, someone would need a copy of your key or an unlocked door or window. It can even cover all three if your phone is secured with a fingerprint for who you are security. Two-factor authentication adds a second what you have layer to digital logins, using an app and your phone to generate a unique login code. You know your email address and password, and often they're easy enough for someone else to guess or crack. Traditional email and password logins, however, cover only the first- what you know. A bank vault might use all three, with passcodes, access cards, and fingerprint scans needed to open the safe. An ATM withdraw similarly covers two: You know your PIN code, and have your debit card. Opening your front door requires the first two: What you know (your address) and what you have (a physical key). Those three factors are the classic secure login ingredients-and the more of them you use to protect your assets, the better. Two-factor authentication-also known as 2FA or TOTP as an abbreviation for time-based one-time passcode, and often substituted with two-step verification-is an additional layer of security that requires at least two of the following: What you know, what you have, and who you are. Which Accounts Need Two-Factor Authentication? Here's how to set up two-factor authentication on your most important accounts and use it to keep your memories, finances, and everything else in your digital life safe. ![]() It adds a critical layer of security that keeps intruders out and makes sure your data doesn't get hacked, as 1 in 5 internet users experience. That's why you need two-factor authentication. Most passwords are trivial for hackers to crack. And on average, you're more likely to be the victim of a digital breach than have a thief break into your home. Our digital assets, though? We're apt to rely only on passwords to protect our accounts-the digital equivalent locking a flimsy screen door but leaving the front door wide open. ![]() We might even be secretive about our address to keep our home location private or train a pet to scare off intruders. We lock our homes with a deadbolt, perhaps invest in a security system or store valuables in a safe with its own lock and key, and make sure our cars are locked with the alarm turned on. Most of us carefully protect our most important objects. ![]()
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