White House and the National Cyber Security Alliance Join Forces to Launch “Lock Down Your Login,” a STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ Campaign
Leading Technology Companies and Nonprofits Collaborate to Help Consumers Move Beyond the Password and Adopt Strong Authentication for Key Online Accounts
The White House, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and more than 35 companies and NGOs today launched a new internet safety and security campaign, “Lock Down Your Login,” to empower Americans to better protect their online accounts. The goal is to encourage a move beyond usernames and passwords to a widespread adoption of strong authentication for key online accounts. The majority of Americans (72 percent) believe their accounts are secure with just usernames and passwords. Usernames and passwords simply are not enough; hackers and cybercriminals continue to evolve their attack techniques, and users must improve their security to better protect their accounts.
The campaign is launching at a time when Americans are more connected than ever: 73 percent go online daily, and one in five are constantly connected. Coupled with increased connectivity are high levels of concern about identity theft, device security and risks such as phishing. In fact, a recent NCSA/Microsoft study found that preventing identity theft is the top online safety topic that both U.S. adults and teens (ages 13-17) would like to learn more about.Additionally, teens reported that unauthorized account access is their top online safety concern.
Although Americans consistently express high levels of concern about identity theft, device security and risks such as phishing, many are either not aware or not using widely available, simple technologies to better secure their online accounts. Americans expect the cybersecurity community to help solve the problem. In another study, 78 percent of Americans reported they strongly or somewhat agree that government, industry and other stakeholders should work to find new ways of securing accounts beyond the password.
The Lock Down Your Login initiative is a key pillar to the Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) and an effort to empower Americans to secure their online accounts. The new campaign is timed with the launch of National Cyber Security Awareness Month. NCSA and the campaign partners are asking all Americans to fortify their key online accounts by locking down their logins in October and make the internet safer for them and more secure for everyone.
Taking advantage of stronger authentication can alleviate some of the worry about being online. It’s simple, quick and free on most popular social media, banking and email services. It ensures it’s actually you trying to access your account by providing multiple forms of verification – like something you know, have and/or are such as security keys, biometrics or entering a unique code sent to you as a text or provided by an app on your mobile device.
To learn how to make your online accounts as secure as possible by locking down your login or become a partner, please visit https://lockdownyourlogin.com.
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