CyberSecurity Tip: The Three Factors of Protection

Enhancing Our Online Safety

In today’s digital age, safeguarding our online identity is crucial as we increasingly encounter threats ranging from identity theft to sophisticated cyberattacks. Enhancing our online safety requires us to understand the three factors used to verify our identity — something you are, something you know, and something you have.

Something You Are: Biometrics. Biometric authentication refers to the use of unique physical characteristics to verify identity. Common biometric identifiers include:

• Fingerprints: Scanners embedded in smartphones and laptops are now standard, allowing for quick and secure access.
• Facial Recognition: Advanced cameras and software analyze facial features to grant or deny access.
• Iris Scans: Used in more secure environments, iris recognition is highly accurate and difficult to spoof.

Biometrics provide a robust layer of security because they are inherently unique to each individual. This method is gaining popularity as, unlike passwords or PINs which can be guessed or stolen, physical characteristics are much harder to replicate. However, the use of biometrics does raise privacy concerns, as the storage and management of such data need to be handled with the utmost care to prevent misuse.

Something You Know: Passwords and Security Questions. Knowledge-based authentication relies on information that only the user should know. This typically includes:

• Passwords: A strong password is the first line of defense against unauthorized access. Creating strong, unique passwords for each online account is essential. Using a password manager can help manage and store complex passwords securely. Regularly updating passwords and avoiding common phrases or easily guessable information can further bolster your defense.
• Security Questions: Often used as a secondary verification method, security questions should have answers that are not easily guessable or discoverable through social media or other public sources.

Something You Have: Physical Tokens and Devices. Possession-based authentication involves using a physical object to verify identity. This method is…