There’s a quick and easy way to be more secure online
You probably think your social media, email and online banking acｃounts are pretty secure. After all, you use different complex passwords for each and never log into them from public computers. Yeah, your online acｃounts are locked down tighter than Fort Knox.
Except they’re not.
With a little bit of social engineering, an experienced hacker could get the passwords for your online acｃounts in no time. And let’s face it, if SplashData’s annual list of most popular passwords is any indication, your “complex” passwords are probably nothing better than “123456” and “qwerty.”
But there’s a quick and easy way to significantly increase your online security: two-factor authentication. Two-factor, sometimes called two-step, authentication is basically the deadbolt for your online acｃounts.
When enabled, two-factor authentication will automatically send you an alert via a text message, email or third-party app whenever a login attempt is made on one of your online acｃounts. That message will include a random set of numbers that you’ll have to use to log into your app or online acｃount.
For example, if you set up two-factor authentication for Twitter, the next time you log into the app or website from your phone or computer, you’ll be directed to a page asking you to enter an authentication number. You’ll then receive a text message with the number. Enter it and you’ll be signed into your acｃount. It adds an extra step to your log-in process, but it’s the best way to ensure you’re the only person who can log into your various online acｃounts.
As an added benefit, it also lets you know when someone is trying to get into your acｃount without your knowledge by sending you your two-factor credentials when a log-in attempt is made. If you’re not the one trying to get into your acｃount, you know someone else definitely is.
If you don’t want to give some hacker or other punk easier access to your online acｃounts, set up two-factor authentication on your email, social and payment services. The extra step of entering a second password can be a bit annoying, but it’s well worth the hassle.
And if you’re not at least considering two-factor authentication after reading this, you should probably just ｄelete your online acｃounts and start communicating via handwritten letter or morse code.
Vocabulary Words:
1. Hacker - (noun) a person who secretly finds a way of looking at and/or changing information on somebody else’s computer system without permission
2. Deadbolt - (noun) a type of lock on a door that needs a key to open or close it
3. Attempt - (noun) an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult, often with no success
4. Credentials- (noun) documents such as letters that prove that you are who you claim to be, and can therefore be trusted
5. Hassle - (noun) a situation that is annoying because it involves doing something difficult or complicated that needs a lot of effort
Discussion Questions:
1. In a day, how much time do you spend using the internet for social networking?
2. What are some good points and bad about social networking?
3. What are some security issues you must think about when you access the Internet?
4. Do you think one should share all their personal information online? Why or why not?
5. If you give personal information to a website do you think that they will always keep this private? Sometimes they sell this information. Is this a good or bad thing?
