We see it almost every day in the news. An organization is hacked because someone had an easy-to-guess password, or someone clicked on a fake link and gave hackers access to important systems. Chaos ensues.

Everyone immediately says: "You should have used Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)!" That is certainly smart advice, because MFA provides extra protection by not only asking for a password but also for something else - like a code on your phone. But, and this is important, MFA is not perfect. Clever hackers sometimes find ways to bypass this too.

The Verizon report on data breaches in 2023 states that in 74% of all hacks, people were the "problem." Almost half of those were due to stolen passwords and 12% due to phishing (those fake links). If more people used MFA, that percentage of stolen passwords would be much lower. But that 74%? We really need to pause and think about that. What do you actually know about online security? And what do you do every day to stay safe?

The point is: we can no longer pretend that online security doesn't concern us. Not at home, and not at work. We all need to learn more about how to stay safe. You don't have to become an expert, but knowing the basics is important. Technical gadgets help, but ultimately a lot depends on what we do ourselves to make it difficult for hackers.

TL;DR

MFA is super important. It's an extra lock on the door of your online life. But just a lock is not enough. We also need to be smart. Knowing how hackers think and what we can do to stay ahead of them. That means: better passwords, not clicking on strange links, and yes, using MFA where possible. Together we can ensure those hacking numbers go down.