‘Two Steps, Too Easy’ campaign encouraging businesses to use 2FA

Every business has information it needs to protect, and 2FA is the easiest way to do that. CERT NZ is back with the ‘Two Steps, Too Easy’ campaign encouraging small businesses to use this incredibly simple tool.

Keeping your business secure online can be confusing and stressful, especially when your expertise is not in tech. 2FA (two-factor authentication) is a tool that adds an extra layer to log in into your important accounts and often only requires clicking an option in the settings menu.

And it’s incredibly effective. Some experts estimate that 2FA would stop up to 99% of so-called ‘account compromise attacks’, where someone is attempting to access your business’s emails, bank accounts, or social media.

The world of cyber security is fast-moving and complex. CERT NZ joins other people and organisations – both locally and internationally – who are already working in this space, to help New Zealand better understand and stay resilient to cyber security threats.

Turning on two-factor authentication (2FA)

Kiwi businesses are utilising 2FA more than ever to protect their livelihoods. It’s a simple-to-use additional security step that helps keep attackers out of your email accounts, bank accounts, financial systems, and your customers’ data. It provides a solid defence for your business from cyber-attacks.

You can set up 2FA on most of your online accounts, like your bank, email, and social media accounts. Start by looking in the account’s security settings. Alternatively, check their website for how to turn it on.

When you’ve set up 2FA and go to log into your account, a code is sent to your phone or provided by an authenticator app. This means even if someone gets hold of your username and password, they don’t have the code so they can’t log in – it’s that simple.

Find out more about 2FA(external link) — CERT NZ

Creating long, strong, and unique passwords

Passwords are particularly easy for attackers to get hold of. They do this by:

  • accessing email addresses and passwords that are leaked online in data breaches
  • buying lists of passwords that are often sold online
  • using software to 'guess' passwords through brute force.

Find out more about creating a strong password(external link) — CERT NZ

Check out how everyday Kiwi businesses are benefiting from taking this simple step. Don’t be an easy target for cyber criminals – set up 2FA today:

Two Steps, Too Easy(external link) — CERT NZ