By Alex Moore, Editor
Shoring up your online security to prevent hackers targeting your personal information online has never felt more important for seniors. About two-thirds of Americans 65 and older have experienced at least one online scam or cyberattack, while 15 percent report losing money to such a scam, according to Pew Research Center. Among those affected, 30 percent say it hurt their personal finances a great deal.
Luckily, one method for reinforcing your online security can reduce the chance of your accounts being compromised by 99 percent, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Called 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), it works by adding an extra layer to your security by asking you to confirm your sign-in. After first logging into a website with your username and password, it sends you a code via email, text message, or smartphone app. To proceed, you must enter the code on the website to prove it’s you by showing you can also access your other accounts.
At TSCL, we recommend setting up 2FA on all online accounts and logins that allow it to protect your safety online. The service is widely available; 80 percent of companies had adopted 2FA as of 2023, according to WorldMetrics.org.
The Basic Steps of Setting Up 2FA for Your Accounts
To protect your online data with 2FA, you’ll want to set it up for each of your online accounts, especially those that might have data on your finances, health, or other private information. Start by making a list of all your accounts, putting the most important ones on top.
Then, follow this general process (we’ll show you an illustrative example below) to set up the 2FA protection:
- Log in to your account and enter its options for security and data privacy.
- Find and click the button that says, “Set up two-factor authentication” (sometimes called two-step “verification”).
- Follow the instructions on the page to connect your phone, email, and ideally, an authenticator app for your smartphone (this writer uses Microsoft Authenticator).
- Test the authentication in a separate web browser or private browsing window before signing out.
This process varies slightly from website to website, but the overall idea remains the same.
Example: Setting Up 2FA for Your Gmail
Gmail is one of the most popular applications on the web, so let’s use it as an example to show what a typical 2FA setup process looks like. As explained on the Google website, you just follow these steps:
- Enter your account. Log into your Gmail with your username and password.
- Navigate to the Security Center. In the top right corner of your inbox screen, click the menu block that looks like a small grid of nine gray dots. From there, click the “Account” option, and then click “Security & Sign In.”
- Start 2FA Setup: Click the “2-Step Verification” option, under the page’s “How you sign into Google” header.
- Set up all verification methods available. Find the list that says “Second steps” about halfway down the screen. Here are the ways you can verify your identity during the 2FA process. For each step:
- Click on the verification method.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
- For the authenticator app option, remember to download an authenticator tool to your phone.
- Click “Turn on 2-Step Verification.” Gmail, like some other websites, requires you to confirm before finalizing your 2FA settings so you don’t accidentally lock yourself out of your account.
- Test that it works before signing out. Stay signed in to Gmail on your current browser, but try signing in with 2FA through an incognito window or another web browser.
