Google on Monday said that despite the growing cyber threats worldwide, less than just 10% of active Gmail users have enabled two-factor authentication making the remaining 90% more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Hindustan Times reported that compromised passwords are the top way hackers gain access to accounts and all users -- especially those in the enterprises.
Two-factor authentication is one of the most effective ways to protect online accounts given that compromised passwords are the top way attackers gain access to accounts.
It works like this: “Whenever you sign in to Google, you'll enter your password as usual. Then, a code will be sent to your phone via text, voice call, or our mobile app. Or, if you have a Security Key, you can insert it into your computer’s USB port.”
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According to the report, the vulnerability of the systems without two-factor authentification is so high that just by logging into the mailbox of even one employee, a hacker can easily get access to the whole company's data. And not just this, the hacker also gets the ammunition for future phishing attacks -- making it even more important for firms to ensure all employees have enabled two-factor authentication and gone through cybersecurity training.
Google first rolled out its two-factor authentication feature back in 2011, yet users have failed to adopt the safety measure in large numbers. The feature adds a few seconds to the login time but is claimed to be the best option to stay away from cyber attacks.
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India witnessed more than 27,000 cyber security threat incidents in the first half of 2017, according to Minister of State for Electronics. These threats include phishing attacks, website intrusions and defacements or damages to data as well as ransomware attacks.
Since, 2014, India has seen a spike in the numbers of cyber attacks in the country.
- 2014: 44,679
- 2015: 49,455
- 2016: 50,362
- 2017 (till June): 27,482
The most damaging was Ransomware WannaCry that swept the world in May 2017. According to reports, a few instances of the ransomware malware reportedly hit banks in India, and some businesses in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat as well during the first wave of the attack. Railway users were also affected by the ransomware.
The second and the recent one was the data breach revelation by the 'OnePlus company. Last week, OnePlus confirmed that at least 40,000 customers credit cards details has been leaked in the recent past. However, further details are yet to come.
(With Agency Inputs)
