By Jad Omar
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – As Cybersecurity Awareness month comes to an end, the Information Technology security team at the American University of Sharjah is instructing students to use their multi-factor authentication system to keep their accounts secure.
MFA makes it harder for an account to be hacked. It requires other ways of proving one’s identity than just a password. Students may use their fingerprint or type in a number on the MFA app to prove that they are using the device.
A one-time six-digit code could also be provided to log in to the account.
IT Team Leader at AUS Reem Sobeih said that there is a history of students sharing their Blackboard passwords with their peers. The MFA app helps students keep their AUS accounts secure by confirming the identity of the person logging in.
She added that MFA is provided to authorize access only to the account owner.
According to the IT security team, this ensures that even if a cyber attacker has a student’s password, the account cannot be accessed.
They added that “this is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect yourself online.”
