PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — So, you are now beefing up your cyber-security with a password manager. Right? Now, here is a way to make that protection even stronger. It is called two-factor authentication. If you have a smartphone you are halfway there.
Many websites, from banks to Google and Amazon, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, offer two-factor authentication.
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Go to those websites and their security sections. You will then follow instructions that will allow a one-time passcode to be sent to your smartphone after you log in with your user name and password.
Our WPTV tech expert, Alan Crowetz, agrees it a must have. He uses it. So do I.
Crowetz said, “Two-factor authentication, or multi-factor authentication, is an extra layer (of security). You have a password and a PIN number, or something else to enter. Easy to implement. Drastically improves your security.”
If you lose your smartphone there are back-ups , such as your email, that allow you to retrieve your two-factor authentication code. Nothing is fool-proof but you are way ahead of most people on securing your web based accounts if you discipline yourself to use two-factor codes along with that password manager.