IT Blog: Password Managers and Multifactor Authentication
This week’s blog is the last one in the series of Cyber entries. I have discussed some best practises when creating passwords and the things to look out for to ensure you don’t get Phished.
One thing to acknowledge in the digital world we live in is the volume of systems we have access to. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Netflix and a whole lot more then one thing they have in common is that you need a username and password. Now, if you follow the guidance in the blog about passwords it will help protect you but if you use the same password for multiple systems, you can open yourself up to a scary scenario where a hacker can access all of these with ease.
This is where Password Managers can be your saviour.
Password Managers
What is a password manager, well it could be described as an electronic notebook where you store all of your passwords for your systems.
Most password managers have built in browser add ins that allow you to enter one strong password that opens the software to the browser and auto fills in the username and password for your systems as you access them online.
You can and should use different passwords for each system that are recorded in the password manager. Another bonus with using a password manager is that it can propose a complex password for you taking away the need to use the techniques in the password blog for all your systems.
Below are a few password managers available. From personal experience I have used lastpass and find it a great tool.
The final element I want to discuss is Multifactor Authentication and why it can play a huge part of keeping you safe.
Multifactor Authentication
What is multifactor authentication? It is best described as a method that requires two or more verification methods to gain access to a resource.
This isn’t a new solution or technique online banking has had it since its inception. In most cases once you enter your password in the app or website for your bank it then asks you for random characters for a security phrase you have provided them with.
The value this solution brings is that even if someone has your password, they will have to have the ability to pass a second method. It is common to support this with an app which would mean your phone would ping notifying you alerting you to someone trying to access.
It is now available for most solutions from email, shopping, and more recently online gaming due to the investment gamers can make from time to money.
It is usually a simple process to complete and I would strongly advise anyone to investigate if their online platforms offer multifactor authentication and implement.
In the college we can provide this for your office365 account. In our solution you can either receive a code sent through to a mobile number or install a free app to confirm logins. If you want anymore information or would like to organise please email ict.services@ayrshire.ac.uk.
I hope you have found this series interesting and helpful. If you would like me to cover any other topics please let me know.
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