We live in a time where our personal and financial information is stored and accessed online every day. Just as you take necessary precautions to protect yourself in the real world, it is important to take certain measures to protect yourself in the digital world. Maintaining your own security online is essential in today’s digital age to safeguard against all types of data theft and loss from incidents such as unauthorized access or computer systems being otherwise damaged or made inaccessible from cyber-attacks.

Cybersecurity consists of the measures taken to protect your devices from hackers and viruses, and it helps ensure confidentiality. One way to protect yourself and others is to understand the benefits and purpose of Two-Factor Authentication or 2FA. According to the Director of CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency), Jen Easterly, “Implementing MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) can make you 99% less likely to get hacked.”

5 things you should know and do to enhance your cybersecurity:

1. Keep your software applications up to date.
2. Create strong passwords by using a password manager or by using a mix of 12 or more characters that include lower case and capital letters, numbers, and symbols.
3. Back up your data regularly by using a trusted Cloud backup, external hard drive, flash drive, or backup service.
4. Use antivirus software.
5. Remain wary of using public Wi-Fi.

AAFMAA Members count on us to help protect them now and for the future. One of the ways we do that is by helping to secure your online account access. We deployed a mandatory Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in the Member Center at the end of 2022. This additional sign-on step provides an extra layer of protection to help ensure the security of your Member account data — beyond your username and password — online.

To manage your Two-Factor Authentication settings in the AAFMAA Member Center:

• Go to the “My Profile” tab, then “Account Settings”. If you are a new Member or have not yet activated 2FA on your account, you will be required to enter a cell phone number as your preferred phone number and to ensure that your email address is current.
• Then, select your preferred mode of communication for receiving the 2FA code whenever you log into your Member Center account.
• Finally, click “Enable Authentication”. Once you receive your code, enter it in the box that appears on the log in page and click “Verify”’ That’s it. You’re in.

If you would like to know more about cybersecurity and 2FA, or if you need any assistance with your AAFMAA Member account, please contact our Member Benefits Team at 888-833-4833, option 2, then 2 again.