Bring on the Passkeys

Passwords are porous, and so are some forms of two-factor authentication (2FA), such as those numeric codes sent to your phone or email to verify your identity. Known as one-time passwords (OTPs), they’re relatively safe, but hackers are getting better at breaching that defense. Passkeys are coming into their own as a stronger cybersecurity tool.

OTPs are typically provided in a text message, which is vulnerable to attacks in several ways. A hacker who intercepts the text to your phone might not get the password directly, but they could launch a smishing attack (it’s like an email phishing attack) and wait for you to make a mistake (responding to the text) to get into your account. More sophisticated hackers engage in SIM swapping or a more effective means of message interception to take over your phone and account. With those latter two forms of intrusion, it may take a while for you to discover the hack. Even if it’s less than an hour, it could be too late.

Risky as they are, OTPs by text are likely to remain in use for a while. Some companies are reluctant to change because they fear it will cost them customers who are not tech-savvy enough to adapt to more sophisticated verification tools. Most of you can reduce the risk somewhat by using a password manager. Reputable providers keep your master password secure – sometimes allowing you to bypass using it (as you’ll read shortly) – and add a strong layer of protection by generating long, complex passwords that are hard to crack.

As a smartphone and password manager user, you’re likely to be using a passkey already. For iPhone users, it’s facial recognition. For Android users, it’s a fingerprint. These and other passkeys work in the background to assemble a mathematical puzzle. The numbers are always changing, and they are not tied to anything that’s unique to you as a person. It doesn’t care about your mother’s maiden name or your first-grade teacher.

Most password managers use biometrics to authenticate you and your device, and you don’t need to be a tech wizard to set up and use it. For facial recognition, you just need to let the authentication app see several views of your face. For fingerprints, you just need to roll a finger over a sensor. In most cases, when using your smartphone, tapping on the app for a website automatically starts the authentication sequence.

Authenticator apps such as Microsoft Authenticator and Google Authenticator can work with website visits from a computer or mobile device. We like to set up our Microsoft OneDrive clients using Microsoft Authenticator to access files securely from any device from any internet connection.

For mobile devices, you can use a mobile app push for even more security. It works with mobile apps on your phone. When you log in to a website, you get a notification in the corresponding app on your phone that prompts you to verify your identity through that notification. This verification method is independent of the device you are logging in on and better than SMS or authenticator OTPs. However, you still need to pay attention. A hacker could repeatedly try to log in to your account using a stolen password, and you would get multiple messages on your phone to verify. If you click to verify, you could give the hacker account access.

We can help you move to a stronger authentication process. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to see what authentication could work best for you. We can help you install and configure the necessary software and get you started on using it.

Living and Growing with Technology

We have kids and grandkids who have never known life without wireless technology, and now we’re moving on to AI. Whether you’re a business or a family with an array of technology comfort zones, there’s an array of paths you can follow to help you keep it all together.

I believe one of our biggest dangers with technology is online shopping. Did you see who had the most ads? According to my observations, it was Temu, the Chinese shopping site. What’s the red flag? There are two: 1.) data collection and 2.) legal recourse.

With every purchase you make, Temu collects a tremendous amount of personal data, including, of course, the credit card number you use to buy stuff. AI, which is really the use of superfast computers that can digest and regurgitate massive amounts of data, makes it possible to analyze every aspect of your shopping preferences. Even if you guard the privacy of your data persistently and diligently, some well-programmed AI can find out things you never knew about you. Conceivably, it helps Temu and similar websites present you with product choices and price points that will generate a purchase.

And because Temu is based in China, it operates under Chinese law, not US law. Not only will you not have the same legal recourse in China to protect you from financial loss, you likely won’t have the same regulatory protection about what data is collected and how it’s protected.

Another convenience we like is setting up automatic payments for products or services that are linked to our credit card or bank account. It’s a convenience for consumers and providers, and you can sometimes get a discount for automatic payments.

I dread the day my payment info gets hacked, and there’s no convenience factor that makes it worth the risk of being hacked. If you agree, there are two critical steps you can take to minimize your risk: 1.) Reset your login credentials for your financial accounts and the sites that draw automatic payments. 2.) Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) for every website account that offers it; biometrics and text messages to a device only you can access are best.

Biometrics can include facial recognition, and it offers the best combination of safety and convenience, especially for phones and tablets. Unless somebody has stolen your device and used your digital passcode to get into your settings and take a picture of themselves to reprogram your facial ID, only you can respond. Using a mobile device for a text is good because you should have the device in your possession for the authentication process. The use of authenticator apps such as Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator is a good step.

Younger people typically take more easily to these new authentication methods, but those who are older or not entirely comfortable with technology should find them easy to use once they’re properly installed and configured.

Staying with the theme of age and technology, we have an elderly client who had some issues with a new computer. We tend to think older people are more comfortable with a computer, but we found the client preferred to have a second iPad. We associate iPad and iPhone use with younger people who can easily adapt to a different way of doing things with really quick thumbs. But there are keyboards for any mobile device, and those who use hearing aids can take advantage of Bluetooth with their devices.

The biggest challenge with using a tablet or phone in place of a computer is setting up ways to download, store, and use files with apps mostly associated with a computer. Multitasking is more difficult with a tablet or phone, but we can accommodate most needs for most people.

With tech playing such a large part of everyone’s business and personal lives, it makes sense to tailor the technology to the person rather than the other way around. If you or someone you know has special technology needs, call us – 973-433-6676 – or email to discuss ways to make technology work.