Cyber Defense eMagazine July 2021 Edition

3. Employ Multi-Factor Authentication
If a threat actor has your password credentials, or you suspect to have given information to a malicious
source, Multi-Factor Authentication is a great backstop. If a password is entered, access will not be
granted until a second device can confirm the request, usually through a code or prompt on a smartphone.
This is a simple tool that is often available via major email providers and Internet-based accounts, and it
can deter a threat actor from accessing your information.
4. Use Robust Passwords
While “password1,” or “123456,” are easy enough to remember, the pain of losing access to your
accounts is far worse than the pain of implementing complicated, unique passwords to begin with. Threat
actors can attempt the most common passwords on accounts by the thousands. They scan for any easy
vulnerabilities they can exploit on the Internet, and you can arm yourself with a strong password to deter
them. Common guidelines for building a strong password include using at least 12 characters,
implementing long phrases, and unconventional punctuation.
5. Update, Update, Update
While it may be inconvenient to learn how to deal with a new operating system or a new interface,
updating as quickly as possible ensures your devices are running with the most recent protections. When
threat actors search for vulnerabilities, they can configure nearly any attack to fit a port of entry, even if
that entry only operates on a slightly out-of-date app, mobile device, or computer system. Having a fully
functioning piece of technology from a few years ago is fine, but being sure to update its protection
systems is a simple safeguard as threat actors remain persistent in COVID-19.
While organizations continue to implement changes in the name of health and safety, it’s important to
keep in mind that threat actors are actively working against them. In situations where people are working
from a new home set up, people are grieving the loss of normalcy, and people are awaiting information
regarding their health and their paychecks, threat actors are creating messages to manipulate them.
While these are unprecedented times, and cyberattacks are more consequential than ever, there’s
comfort in knowing that security best practices still stand, and awareness of these online scams prove
as a great safeguard in and of itself.
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