Enable MFA everywhere
How do you enable multi-factor-authentication (MFA) on your accounts?
Phishing and reused passwords are how most personal accounts fall. MFA will not fix a bad password habit alone - it raises the cost of the next attempt.
Multi-factor authentication means proving more than one thing:
- Something you know - password
- Something you have - phone, authenticator app, security key
- Something you are - fingerprint or face
SMS is the weakest common second factor. Still better than password alone. App codes and passkeys are stronger. Many services only prompt MFA on a new device or place - small friction for a real lift.
Enable it wherever the option exists. Prefer passkeys when offered. I wrote why complexity charts miss the point in Does password complexity matter?.
How to enable MFA
Process varies by provider. Shortcuts for common AU/NZ services:
User and email accounts
Social media
Banks and financial services
Australia
New Zealand
Gaming
Missing a provider you need? Tell me and I will add it.
Related
- MFA on Shared Accounts for when multiple people need MFA on the same account
- Does Password Complexity Matter? for why uniqueness and MFA matter more than raw complexity