CompTIA Joins the White House and the National Cyber Security Alliance's 'Lock Down Your Login' Online Safety Campaign

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Sep 29, 2016, 09:30 ET

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Sept. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the technology industry, today announced its commitment to the National Cyber Security Alliance's "Lock Down Your Login" Internet safety and security initiative to empower Americans to better protect their online accounts by moving beyond passwords.

The campaign, announced by the White House in February 2016 as part of its Cybersecurity National Action Plan, calls for Americans to fortify their online accounts by enabling the strongest authentications tools available so everyone can enjoy greater peace of mind knowing their online accounts are more secure.

"Today's technology options are a boon to efficiency, productivity and access to information, but they can be a cybersecurity nightmare when safe computing practices aren't used," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA.

"Research consistently shows that the weakest link in cybersecurity defense is the person using the connected device," Thibodeaux continued. "That's why 'Lock Down Your Login' is such an important and timely initiative that we're proud to co-sponsor. Through this national effort we aim to educate and empower consumers and businesses with an easy, yet effective security practice that will help them stay safe online at home, at work or on the road."

In 2015 alone, an estimated $15 billion was stolen from 13.1 million U.S. consumers due to identity fraud.[1] Usernames and passwords simply are not enough to secure online accounts. While hackers and criminals continue to evolve their attack techniques, 72 percent of Americans still believe their accounts are secure with only a username and password.[2] Millions of Americans have had their online accounts hacked because of stolen credentials or weak logins, but many are either unaware or not using widely available, simple technologies to better secure their online accounts.

The "Lock Down Your Login" campaign was created to help Americans minimize personal risk to cybercrime by educating and empowering them to better protect their key social media, email and bank accounts by enabling strong authentication – sometimes called multi-factor, two-factor or login approval.

While no security measure is foolproof, a few easy steps – such as using a separate small device you have in your possession, verifying identity via biometrics like voice, facial recognition, fingerprint or iris-scan or by using a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device – can make it much harder for hackers to disrupt our digital daily lives.

"We live in a digital age where people, networks and devices are increasingly interconnected, and the more Internet users who enable strong authentication, the safer we will all be online," said Michael Kaiser, NCSA's executive director.

To learn how to make your online accounts as secure as possible with strong authentication and to become a partner, please visit www.lockdownyourlogin.com.

[1] 2016 Identity Fraud Study, Javelin Strategy & Research; https://www.javelinstrategy.com/coverage-area/2016-identity-fraud-fraud-hits-inflection-point

[2] NCSA Strong Authentication Omnibus Study, July 2016; https://stopthinkconnect.org/resources/preview/ldyl-research-fact-sheet

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SOURCE CompTIA