NCSC gets influencers to sing the praises of 2FA

Isometric demonstrating multi-factor authentication using a mobile device.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Influencers are being used to share 2FA messaging in the UK
The NCSC is using social media to help protect against fraud and scams
Social media accounts are sharing comedy sketches and informative videos

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has turned to influencers to spread the word on the importance of two-factor authentication through the power of social media.

The campaign forms part of former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s 2024 Stop! Think Fraud initiative that seeks to spread awareness for online fraud and scams.

Comedians and personal finance influencers have been putting together sketches and advice videos to share on social media with the aim of both entertaining and educating

2FA goes viral

One sketch by thesquidvids sees a group of criminals attempting to hack into an account, with all the classic hacking movie theatrics such as Matrix-esque code tumbling down the screen, and incorrectly used tech idioms including “dropping a logic bomb” and “copying the blockchain.”

The sketch even sees the group successfully guess a password that uses the NCSC’s Three Random Words guidance to craft a secure password (in this instance ‘BulldogSlapheadJalfrezi47?’) with two numbers, a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, and a special character.

However, the group is stopped in their tracks when they encounter a 2FA prompt, with one of the criminals saying “As long as he's got two-step verification we're not getting any further, I don't think.” and the other responds, “Fair enough. I guess that's the end of the film really.”

An NCSC spokesperson told The Register, “To boost public awareness about the crucial benefits of enabling two-step verification on their most important accounts, we've partnered with popular social media influencers to amplify this vital message and encourage a wider audience to adopt secure online habits.”

Two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication are ways to make accounts more secure. It works by having a code sent to a separate device when logging in that must be entered before access is granted. Biometrics, such as a finger print or facial recognition scans are also used, as well as dedicated authenticator apps.

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Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division), then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.