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Secure your personal social media accounts with MFA

social-media-gc844ea6a8_192023 September 2021

Now that LSE has turned on multifactor authentication (MFA) via SMS or the Authenticator app for all students and staff, I believe it is time that we make the most out of it.

But first, what is MFA? MFA is a safe and secure way of proving your identity before gaining access into an account. For instance, you might get a text with a passcode or a notification from the Authenticator app to approve or deny a login request. This added security decreases the risk of a brute force attack, instances where bad actors repetitively try different combinations of words and letters to get to the correct password.

You can also use the same Authenticator app for your own personal social media accounts. This will help keep your personal data safe and secure from hackers.

You can follow these steps turn on MFA for each social media platform.

Facebook

  1. Go to ‘Settings’ and ‘Password and Security’
  2. Click ‘Use two-factor authentication’
  3. There you can choose how you would like to verify yourself.  If you already have the Authenticator app, you can choose Authentication app

Instagram

  1. Go to ‘Settings’ and ‘Security’
  2. Click ‘Two-factor authentication’
  3. Turn on ‘Authentication app’ or ‘Text message’

Twitter

  1. Click ‘More’ on the side menu
  2. Click ‘Settings and Privacy’
  3. Click on ‘Security and account access’ then click on ‘Security’
  4. Choose a method under ‘Two-factor authentication’

Snapchat

  1. Go to settings
  2. Click ‘Two-Factor Authentication’
  3. Choose ‘Text verification’ or ‘Authentication App’

It is also important to securely write down backup/recovery codes for all accounts you turned MFA on. This will help you gain access into your account when the device you have the Authenticator app is not accessible or you just changed your phone number.

Although having a two-factor authentication is safer than just logging in with your password, it is not fool proof. There are still ways attackers can access your account even with MFA. So, always make sure you do not click on any suspicious links, and you can always email phishing@lse.ac.uk to check any suspicious emails.

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