Three reasons to use 2-Factor Authentication

If you're reading this, chances are you've heard of two-factor authentication.

Maybe it's something you're considering using and want to learn more about.
Maybe you already use 2FA but want a refresher on why it's important.
Or maybe you're just not sure what "two-factor" even means!

Well, we're here to tell you why 2FA is such an important security measure for online services and apps—and then give some examples of how popular apps like Google and Facebook use it (spoiler alert: they do).

Three main reasons

1) It's free.

2FA is free. There are no costs to you, your business, or your customers.

The only cost is taking time out of your schedule to do it.

2) It protects you better.

2FA is a powerful tool that can help you protect yourself against phishing, man-in-the-middle, and password-reuse attacks.

Phishing attacks are when hackers try to trick you into giving them your username or password by impersonating a trusted site or service. They'll send emails that look like they're from your bank, which has one of the most common forms of 2FA enabled. If you click on the link in the email, you'll be directed to what looks like your bank's website but isn't your bank's site — instead, it's just a fake one set up by the hackers! Once there, all they need is for their victim (you) to enter their username and password so they can steal them from you.

3) You probably already use two-factor authentication.

You probably already use two-factor authentication.

You may have noticed that when you sign up for a new email account, it asks you to enter your phone number. Then, when you try to log in from an unfamiliar device, you receive a text message containing a PIN required for access. This is an example of two-factor authentication—if someone were to steal your password and log in as you, they wouldn't be able to access the account unless they also had the code sent via text message (or another means).

It's not just emails that use this type of security; most banks and social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter require it as well.

2FA is an easy and popular way to protect yourself when you're online.

2FA is easy to set up.

2FA is easy to use.

2FA is easy to remember, so you won't have to carry around a piece of paper with your passwords on it anymore!

2FA is available from anywhere, on any device, so you can access your accounts on the go without worrying about losing access because you left your phone behind or forgot your laptop at home again.

And finally, once enabled, if someone tries logging into your account without providing an additional authentication factor (like a code sent via SMS or generated by an app), then they will be denied access until they provide the correct authentication factor in addition to their password or PIN code—making it even harder for anyone who finds out what this additional security measure requires before being able to get into an account than it was before enabling two-step verification!

Additional security layer that's simple to use

2FA is one of the most popular forms of security. It's incredibly easy to use, and it's free. 

There are many reasons to use 2FA, but we think these three stand out as the most important.
The bottom line is that you should use two-factor authentication whenever possible to help protect your data from hackers and other malicious actors online!

If you want more information about 2FA, check out our extensive knowledge base.