Passwords are everywhere.

We use them to access our money, chat apps, even our social lives through social media. No matter how complex your password is, it is never enough to prevent account takeover because all it takes was one phishing email or third-party service you use to getting hacked and your password is out in the world. If passwords are impossible to protect on your own, what do we do?

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is one of the simplest approaches to security that is also the most effective. 2FA uses a second method of identity verification to secure your accounts. First, a thing you know, your password. Then, something unique that you have like a phone number, fingerprint, or hardware security key. By combining your password with another factor, hackers cannot access your account even if they have your password. The most common 2FA system uses a unique one-time code. This code is tied to your account and generated by a hardware security key, smartphone, or sent to you by text message. With 95% of breaches involving account takeover, two-factor authentication is the most effective method of prevention. It is time for everyone from businesses, government, and you to take the easy and effective step of enabling two-factor authentication on all accounts.