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Add an extra layer of security to protect your information

Add an extra layer of security to protect your information

By André le Roux

Public Relations Manager at Bank Windhoek

In this digitally connected era, hackers are always on the lookout to gain access to you valuable private information. For safety and security of your information, it is always a good idea to be proactive by adding an extra layer of protection to your online accounts.

Since passwords are not entirely reliable, protective tool such as a Two-Step verification or authentication can guard your information.

A Two-Step authentication process asks for more than just your password. It requires something that you know (password) and “something that you have”, like your cell phone.

Two-step, or two-factor authentication protects your accounts by requiring you to provide an additional piece of information after you give your password to get access to your account. In the most common implementation, after correctly entering your password, an online service will send you a text message with a unique string of numbers that you will need to slot in to get access to your account.

This ensures that your online account stays within your control. Bank Windhoek’s iBank platform also employs an additional layer of protection with its E-Secure Token.

This device provides a “One-Time-PIN” (OTP), which should be used to access the Internet Banking site, together with your username and password. Each OTP is only valid for a single session. Therefore, the E-Secure Token should be used to generate an OTP with every login.

Services which offer Two-Step verification include: Google/Gmail, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Evernote, Microsoft Accounts, Yahoo! Mail, LinkedIn and WordPress.

This list is not exhaustive, but if you are aware that some of your online accounts offer this service, it would be in your best interest to do so. If you don’t already have two-step authentication enabled on your all your accounts, you really need to turn it on for all sensitive data stored online.


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