Expect the unexpected–secure your business
Why Two-factor Authentication Means Peace of Mind
Picture this:
It’s a Monday morning the first day of summer and, like every working day morning, I begin it with a warm mug of my favorite gourmet coffee. I open my laptop to begin checking online sales for the business I own and operate in the small town where I was born and raised.
As I take my first morning sip and begin logging into my email, I’m thrown an uncharacteristic error message: “Your Password is Invalid.” I type in my password again. “Your Password is Invalid.” I begin to panic as I type it again. “Your account has been temporarily locked. Please contact support.” I quickly grab the phone and begin to dial. As I wait on hold, I go to my business’ website and I’m stunned to see a “Web Page Not Found” error. A technical support specialist answers my call and begins to explain that my website and linked email account have been hacked.
Fortunately, the hosting company explains that the hacker didn’t cause any irreparable damage. However, paranoid about my online security, I begin to do some research about how I can secure my businesses data along with my customers’ personal account data. That’s when I learn about two-factor authentication.
What is two-factor authentication?
Two-factor authentication, also called multiple factor or multiple-step verification, is an authentication mechanism to double check that a person’s identity is legit.
How do I use two-factor auth to protect my business?
While I own a small shop in a small town, I can use a toll free number to help establish a trusted online corporate identity. I mainly use my toll free number for inbound calls to my shop, however I can now also use it for authenticating my customers’ accounts by delivering text messages to the their mobile numbers. Here is how it works:
Step 1. A customer enters their telephone number, so that my site can send them a code via a text message.
Step 2. A text message is sent from my toll free business line to the customer’s mobile telephone number.
Step 3. The customer enters the unique code on my site’s prompted location. Once the code is validated, my website will prompt my customers to enter a new password and enter their account safely.
I now have peace of mind knowing that my customers and their private information is secure by implementing this extra layer of security.. If you’re looking for that same peace of mind and want to know more about how you can secure your business with texting services, check out Bandwidth messaging services now.