7 Cybersecurity Habits For Personal Online Safety for Citizens

#2: Turn On Multi-Factor Authentication

Written by Gabriel Friedlander | Sep 7, 2022 10:06:57 PM

So you just secured your passwords. Congrats! You're off to a great start. Let's now add an extra layer of security. 

You may have come across articles about - or even been involved in - recent data breaches for major companies. Somewhere in this information were tips for protecting yourself against cyber criminals which included turning on multi-factor authentication, or MFA. That’s great advice but helps very little if you don’t understand what it is, how to use it, and what type might be the best solution for our needs. 

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) uses various methods to prove that you are who you say you are in order to log into your online account or app. For instance, if you have MFA turned on and try to log in to your Gmail account, not only will you need to provide your password but Gmail will also send you a message to your cell phone asking to confirm it’s really you logging in.

 

But if you already have a strong and complex password, why should I bother with yet another step to logging in? As technology grows so do the opportunities for criminal innovation and as such, a password alone no longer suffices to protect your accounts and personal information.

In a recent study, Microsoft said that 99.9% of hacked accounts did not have MFA turned on. In order to make sure you aren't one of them, we're giving you a quick guide on how to enable MFA on 16 of the most common apps.   

 

As you enable Multi-Factor Authentication on these top common apps, check them off this list.

Google LinkedIn
Facebook Reddit
instagram TikTok
WhatsApp PayPal
Twitter Telegram
Apple iCloud Discord
Microsoft Roblox
Amazon Uber

 

#1 Google

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Google, look for "2-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on Google:  https://myaccount.google.com/security

 

#2 facebook

 
When setting up multi-factor authentication on Facebook, look for "two-factor authentication" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication for Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=security
 
 

#3 Instagram

 

There are multiple ways for setting up multi-factor authentication on Instagram.  Below are the options on how to enable multi-factor authentication on Instagram App.

Option 1
Use a direct link to complete the process: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/two_factor_authentication/
 
Option 2
Enable multi-factor authentication through the app: Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication
 
 

#4 WhatsApp

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on WhatsApp, look for "two-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Below are the steps on how to enable multi-factor authentication on WhatsApp.

Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification
 
 

#5 Twitter


When setting up multi-factor authentication on Twitter, look for "two-factor authentication" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on Twitter: https://twitter.com/settings/account/login_verification

 

#6 Apple iCloud

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Apple iCloud, look for "two-factor authentication" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on Apple iCloud: https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage

 

#7 Microsoft

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Microsoft, look for "advanced security options." Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on Microsoft:  https://account.microsoft.com/security/

 

#8 Amazon

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Amazon, look for "two-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Below are the steps on how to enable multi-factor authentication on Amazon.

Your Account > Login & Security > 2-Step Verification (2SV) Settings
 
 

#9 LinkedIn

 
When setting up multi-factor authentication on LinkedIn, look for "two-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on LinkedIn:
 
 

#10 Reddit

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Reddit, look for "two-factor authentication" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/settings/privacy
 
 

#11 TikTok

 


When setting up multi-factor authentication on TikTok, look for "2-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Below are the steps on how to enable multi-factor authentication on TikTok App.

Settings > Security > 2-Step Verification

 

#12 PayPal

 

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on PayPal, look for "2-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/myaccount/security/

 

#13 Telegram

 

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Telegram, look for "2-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Below are the steps on how to enable multi-factor authentication on Telegram App.

Settings > Privacy and Security > 2-Step Verification

 

#14 Discord

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Discord, look for "2-factor authentication" as this is what they refer to it as. Below are the steps on how to enable multi-factor authentication on Discord App.

Profile > My Account > 2-Factor Authentication

 

#15 Roblox

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Roblox, look for "2-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Use this direct link to enable multi-factor authentication on Roblox: https://www.roblox.com/my/account#!/security

 

#16 Uber

 

When setting up multi-factor authentication on Uber, look for "2-step verification" as this is what they refer to it as. Below are the steps on how to enable multi-factor authentication on Uber App.

Profile > Settings > Security > 2-Step Verification