Most accounts on the internet use a simple login credential system with a username and a password. Since usernames are often publicly visible, this leaves your account protected by only a password. While there are many ways hackers can gain access to your password, through data breaches and other means, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) makes it almost impossible for hackers to break in.
Two-Factor Authentication adds an extra layer of security by linking your account to a physical device, typically your mobile phone. Whenever you log in, your phone is sent a unique, time-sensitive code to enter after the regular steps to access to your account. This verification code, accessed via text message, email message, or authentication app, adds a layer of account verification that a username and password combination simply cannot provide.
Enabling Two-Factor Authentication on your primary email account is a huge first step. Since you probably have a plethora of other accounts that use your email to confirm password changes, enabling Two-Factor Authentication on your email can help you protect your other accounts as well. But clearly, the more accounts you set up with 2FA, the better.
On Gmail accounts, you can enable Two-Factor Authentication by going into your Account settings and toggling it in the Security tab. On your mobile device, download the Google Authenticator App (or your preferred authenticator app, if you use DUO mobile or LastPass for other accounts.) To link your Google account to your mobile device, Google will present you with a QR code on your desktop, which you can capture in your authenticator app.
By adding another layer of physical user verification, you can keep most hackers from accessing your most sensitive accounts. We can’t recommend Two-Factor Authentication enough!
You don’t want companies to be able to track your every move, do you?
Well, unless you’re careful, your mobile phone and the apps you’ve installed can collect and share your real-time location data for their own use -- and you might not even know about it.
The COVID-19 crisis is causing Americans to question many of their priorities. But a new Confidently survey shows protecting online privacy is as important now as it ever was -- if not more so.
Why? Because Americans are using the internet more during the pandemic than ever before -- and in many cases using new online services to help them shelter-in-place.
Confidently recently conducted a survey of 150 California residents to understand how COVID-19 has affected their views on privacy and their use of the internet. Here are some of our key findings:
If you’ve followed the news lately, you may have already heard about Clearview AI -- the shadowy start-up company that’s harvesting billions of online photos and social media profiles (probably including yours!) to create the world’s most powerful facial recognition technology.
Did you stay at any one of the 30+ resorts and facilities owned by MGM Resorts before 2018? Or have friends or family that might have?
It’s been a full month now since California’s new privacy law went into effect. The CCPA is landmark legislation for the US so we, as privacy advocates developing tools to help consumers take full advantage of their new rights, wanted to see how the new law is doing. Specifically:
- How well are companies complying with the new law?
- Are consumers in a better position to take back control over our personal data?
We took a deep dive into the websites of 161 of the biggest, most prominent consumer-facing companies across 10 different industries to start to figure that out.
Today, we’ll focus on two key provisions of the CCPA: privacy policy updates and “do not sell” requirements. In subsequent blog posts, we’ll look at how companies are complying with other components of the law.
If you recently filed a claim as one of 147 million Americans affected by the Equifax data breach, well surprise, surprise... you've got more hoops to jump through.