We can’t deny the fact that having a smartphone is convenient but if you leave your device open for everyone to access, you are putting yourself at risk. Security should always be a priority for all our devices because they are a gold mine for personal data especially with the use of apps and emails. The good thing is more and more companies are becoming aware of the cyber crimes committed through accessing emails and applications and they are doing their own step to protect their users. But which ones can really protect you?
What is authentication?
Let’s talk about authentication first. Authentication is used to ensure that you are really the person who you claim to be. A powerful combo of username and password should create a system that identifies and verifies your identity.
Email Authentication
Social networks and other websites use this system to verify the user’s identity before they let someone in. But we know that few clicks can create an email address in seconds which can be used to disguise as someone else using a fake account. An email authentication may not be as effective on securing your identity as anyone can create multiple email accounts.
Password Authentication
Password authentication on the other hand is relatively more effective than the first since it is under the assumption that the user knows her/his username and password when she created it. But we’re also guilty about using same passwords to most of our accounts to easily remember it. And it’s prone to be stolen via phishing. So it is advised that we change passwords regularly and make it stronger with a combo of letter, numbers and symbols.
Social Network Authentication
This system is used by different applications and websites for singing in. This can be a little more secured because social networks also require a combo of email and password. So it will take a little more effort to create another fake account on social media on top of knowing the username and password of a certain system.
Biometrics
This system is heavily depended on physical characteristics than can be detected by the system such as fingerprinting, retina scanning and face recognition. Although this is definitely more effective than password because you can’t just steal fingerprints or retina, biometrics is a really costly investment.
Two-Step Authentication
This method is proven to be more effective, addressing the gaps on just password or email authentication. Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires that two factors are involved on authenticating identity. On this case, even though the hackers can get ahold of the first factor such as your bank details, they still cannot commit fraud if the system requires them to authenticate your identity by sending a code to your phone.
Final notes
Although 2FA proves to be the most reliable method of authentication without costing an arm and a leg like biometrics, it is still not 100% foolproof. Authentication system is proven to be more effective if it is harder to bypass and cost-effective. And so far, 2FA fits these criteria.
To add another layer of protection on your device, make sure that you browse securely online through a reliable VPN service.
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