What is "Two Factor Authentication"??

Most websites and apps let you sign in with just a username and password.  If anyone guesses either of these, they can take over your account, steal all your money and/or steal your identity.  An additional layer of security is called "Two Factor Authentication" or 2FA.  With 2FA, there is an extra step the user must complete before access to the account is granted.  It's usually request for a piece of information that only the legitmate owner of the account would know.  This additional piece of information could be the name of the owner's first pet dog which is requested after the password is entered.  It could also be a rotating/changing computer generated code that is sent to the cellphone of the owner via text.  This cellphone number is previously established by the legitimate account owner as part of the account setup.  This prevents a hacker from getting sent the code (unless they stole your cellphone as well).  If available, you should always use 2FA, especially for bank accounts, credit card accounts, brokerage accounts and/or any account that holds personal identification information (PII) such as your social security number.  Yes, it's an extra step, but it's worth the time to protect your PII and your finances.

For questions or help on setting up 2FA for your accounts, contact TheGoToTechGuru.