Constant Tips: MFA, or How I Learned to Love Account Security

[Nick_S]

 Every Tuesday we'll share tips, tricks, and insights on using Constant Contact and online marketing

Bad actors are all over the internet trying to scrape sensitive information and access accounts on all platforms without authorization. The days of “Password12345” are over (if they ever truly existed), but even a more complex password can’t guarantee 100% account protection.

At Constant Contact, we utilize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to protect our users’ accounts.

What is Multi-Factor Authentication?

MFA is an extra layer of security for your account. On top of your password, it requires the person logging in to verify a secondary factor to complete the login process. It is required for all Constant Contact accounts and there isn’t a way to opt out of the program. We make it mandatory as it is the best current solution to warding off data breaches and phishing attacks, which primarily rely on stolen or weak login credentials.

How do I enroll in MFA?

Related: Enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication

What if I lost or don’t have access to the device I set up with MFA?

If you lose your device or plan to travel to a different region where your device won’t work, it’s important to make sure you have taken the necessary steps to maintain access to your account.

The issue most commonly arises when someone travels out of their country and cannot receive SMS or Voice Call authentications. Only one form of authentication can be assigned to a single device, but you can set up multiple secondary factors across different devices. 

If you know you’ll be traveling and have the time to update your MFA options, make sure to choose an option like Okta Verify or Google Authenticator. These are apps on your phone you can use over Wi-Fi anywhere in the world.

Or, if you would prefer to stick with SMS or Voice Call authentication, make sure someone in your home region is reachable and has access to a device with one of these factors enabled. Otherwise, if you carry multiple smart devices (e.g. phone, tablet) you can assign a different secondary factor to each of them.

Related: Reset your factors for Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA can be reset when logging in or from within your account.

But wait, there’s more!

• If you have trouble resetting your MFA and accessing your account, you’ll have to call our phone support for assistance. It’s important that you know the answer to the security question associated with your account, or update it ASAP.
• If you are the Account Owner for a Constant Contact account associated with your business/organization and plan to leave, you should take steps to transfer ownership to your successor or someone else within your organization.
• If multiple people work in a Constant Contact account, it’s important they have their own unique login credentials so they can establish their own MFA secondary factors.