Once upon a time, in the bustling city of Clarksville, the holiday season was in full swing. The streets were adorned with twinkling lights, storefronts showcased festive displays, and the air was filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies. Amidst the holiday cheer, a student named Anita was eagerly preparing to travel to visit her family for the holidays.
Anita studied information technology and was well-versed in the importance of cybersecurity. However, with the excitement of the upcoming trip and the stress of studying for final exams, she had neglected to check up on the safety of her accounts—until she received an email from her bank regarding a large transaction she didn’t remember making.
Panicked, Anita immediately logged into her account and saw that someone had tried to access it from a foreign location. The bank’s security measures had fortunately prevented unauthorized access. Realizing the potential danger, Anita knew she needed to take immediate action to protect her hard-earned money—and her identity!
Anita decided to set up MFA on all her important online services. After securing her bank account, she set up an authenticator app for her university account, ensuring that any login attempts required a code generated by an app on her smartphone.
As Anita worked through her accounts, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. With MFA in place, she knew that even if someone managed to steal her passwords, they would still need her phone to access her information. The extra layer of protection gave her peace of mind, allowing her to focus on the joy of the holiday season.
Little did Anita know that on the other side of Clarksville, a notorious hacker named Max was plotting his next big score. Max had spent years perfecting his craft, targeting individuals and businesses during peak times when they were most vulnerable. The holiday season was his favorite time of year, as people were often distracted and less vigilant about their online security.
Max had stumbled upon Anita’s email address in a data breach and decided to try his luck. He attempted to log into her university email so he could reset her banking password, but each time he was met with a request for a verification code. Frustrated, Max realized that Anita had implemented MFA, making it nearly impossible for him to gain access. He moved on to other, less secure targets. Anita, on the other hand, enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with her family, free from the worry of cyber threats. Anita’s halted holiday hoax had taught her a valuable lesson: in a world where cyber threats are ever-present, taking the time to set up Multi-Factor Authentication is a crucial step in protecting one’s digital life.
To make sure your accounts are safe and secure this holiday season:
- Set up Microsoft Authenticator for your Clark account, especially if you will be traveling internationally. Click here for instructions.
- Review the security information and authentication factors associated with your account. Click here to learn more.
- Keep your passwords safe in a password manager like LastPass.
- Do not share your passwords with anyone, including ITS.