The level of security is increasing. In order to protect your data even better, we have enabled Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This article explains what 2FA is and how it changes the way you sign in to SMARTLINK.
What is 2FA?
Two-Factor Authentication requires you to verify who you are in two ways. Without 2FA, you only have to provide your username and password to sign in. With 2FA, there will be added an extra step to the login process.
The basic idea behind 2FA is to add an extra layer of security to your user account. This means that your data remains protected when your username and password are compromised. In order to access your data, potential hackers would have to breach two levels of security. First, your username and password need to be hacked, then they have to break into your phone or email to continue.
Compared to a username and password, it is even more difficult to break into someone's phone or email account. This is especially true for a phone as it requires getting physical access to the device. Suspicious login attempts are usually also flagged and blocked by email providers. This tends to trigger a 2FA method as well (again using your phone or a backup email address to authenticate). This drastically reduces the chances of a security breach and is becoming an industry standard.