For years we’ve advised that you should configure and use multi-factor authentication (also referred to as two-factor authentication, or the acronyms MFA or 2FA). This sets up an additional means of verifying entry to the account. Having it on an account greatly reduces the chances of a hacker getting control of it.
Unfortunately the procedure for setting it up, for any given account, is individualized and typically unique to the company that hosts it. I can’t provide the process for all of them here. What I can do, is provide links to the process for the most common online accounts.
Many of these require setting up an authentication app on your phone. And some of those offer their own branded authentication apps. You should use them if possible, since they’re most likely to work smoothly with that company’s account.
Some (such as Facebook and Amazon) don’t have their own branded authentication apps. In that case, feel free to use another. You may wish to use the same one (for instance, use the Google Authenticator app with Facebook, Amazon, etc.) so that as many accounts as possible are all in one place.
I’ve seen various accounts that explicitly tell users signing up for two-factor to use Google Authenticator. It appears to be widely supported by many accounts and authentication services.
Yahoo doesn’t have its own dedicated “authenticator” app, but its various specific apps (such as Yahoo Mail or Yahoo News) act as authenticators in addition to their other functions.
Most of these will offer MFA using either an authenticator app, or via SMS (i.e. text message) to a cell phone. A small number allow MFA sent to an email address. Authenticator apps are preferred; email would be a second choice, and SMS third.
Some online accounts allow authentication using a hardware key, which for most consumers will be a Yubikey. We recommend using them wherever possible, but they’re not widely supported on consumer accounts (particularly for banks or other financial institutions). This is unfortunate, but it’s just how it is.
To find out more about Yubikeys, go to: https://www.yubico.com/products/
Yubico’s page with guidance on which to one buy, is: https://www.yubico.com/quiz/
I also can’t provide links for all the possible accounts out there. I can only refer you to the Online 2FA Directory: https://2fa.directory/us/
This list focuses on Connecticut homes and users. I’d considered listing all the banks that operate in Connecticut but there are just too many of them, especially if credit card and investment companies are included, and not all of their tech support pages are available to me. Look yours up in the Online 2FA Directory mentioned above.
In addition to configuring MFA, many of these services also provide an option to set up account recovery. This is a way of regaining control of an account, should your normal credentials (username & password) not work (or are forgotten) and/or your MFA method should fail or not be available (such as, you lost your phone).
You should configure recovery options whenever possible. Most services will ask about setting up recovery at the time MFA is configured. Go ahead and do so. You may find it necessary, first, to create an additional email account solely for the purpose of recovering other accounts.