In our latest video we talk about the risks your staff pose to your business through password reuse and how Multi Factor Authentication can help protect your business and eradicate this risk.
This video is part of a series that tries to explain cyber security in a simple manner with real world examples. Visit our YouTube Channel for more videos.
How We Can Help
Multi Factor Authentication is a one good way to protect your business. But Good cyber security requires a multi-layered approach and this starts with understanding the risks.
Our experts can carry out a free, no obligation Cyber Security Assessment for your business.
The assessment will provide you with:
- An understanding of the specific risks for your business
- A report detailing any credentials that have already been compromised
- A second actionable report showing the gaps in your existing security – yours to keep and implement with or without our help
- An overview of the tools available to improve security in your business
The simplest way to arrange an assessment is to book a time that’s convenient for you in our calendar below.
Don’t worry we won’t just turn up! We’ll call you back and make all the necessary arrangements.
You can also call us on 0115 8220200, or complete a Contact Form.
Transcript
We are going to talk about a common IT security issue and how you can protect yourself. The problem is simple – passwords get hacked. Passwords are not as effective as you may think. Everything these days has a password which means people reuse the same password in multiple different sites. So why is that a problem? Because if your password on one side such as LinkedIn is compromised then that means all the sites you use the same password with are also potentially compromised. Whether it be work or personal. So let’s see how it can affect you in this scenario.
This is John. John has a relatively secure password but he uses it for everything. He is the member of an online forum in his hobby of parachuting. The forum is run by volunteers, so security is not the best. One day it gets hacked. The hackers steal passwords and email addresses and sell these on the Dark Web. John has no idea that the forum has been breached and he is still using the same password for everything including his work Microsoft 365 account.
Your business has good security. You have a password policy, firewall, antivirus, email filtering all in place. However, none of this matters anymore as the hackers now have a password to get into your system. Once inside they can cause all sorts of mischief. They could redirect emails and divert payments, get into account packages, block you out of emails and demand ransoms and all sorts of other criminal activity.
So, what can you do?
Well you need to educate your staff about good password use. But there is a solution that is relatively simple, low cost and immediately adds an additional layer of security. Multi Factor Authentication. The great news about MFA is that staff are probably already used to using it and not even knowing about it. It’s the type of technology that banks have been using for years. They used to send you an additional device and you had to put code in. But it’s all now is done through mobile and it’s so much slicker.
What Multi Factor Authentication does is when you log into your account it either sends you a push notification or you have to enter a code from your phone. This proves who’s logging into your system is who is authorised to access your system. Most people these days have a smartphone with a fingerprint reader to access the phone. So the only way that someone can gain access to your login is if they had your password, your phone and chopped off your finger!
Using Multi Factor Authentication, Johns personal accounts might still be compromised but even with his password hackers cannot get into your systems as they cannot enter the code or accept the push notification on John’s phone. Simple! The best tactic in cyber security is a multi-layered approach and Multi-Factor Authentication is one of those layers. It will just make everything in your business that little bit more secure.
Remember it’s easy to book a Cyber Security Assessment. Just use the calendar below: