This month, the University of Delaware is observing the 13th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).

NCSAM is a joint effort between the United States Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance to educate the public about safe computing and information practices. Throughout October, the government and more than 600 public and private organizations nationwide will champion cyber security.

This year also marks another important partnership between the government and the National Cyber Security Alliance, as President Barack Obama recently announced the “Lock Down Your Login” campaign to help make the nation aware of the need for account security.

According to the campaign, “72 percent of Americans believe their accounts are secure with only usernames and passwords,” despite increasing cyber threats.

The president and cybersecurity experts alike urge everyone to use strong, multi-factor authentication to provide an extra layer of protection for their personal and professional accounts.

As part of the Secure UD information security awareness initiative, UD Information Technologies (UD IT) offers a two-factor authentication (2FA) service to members of the University community to help secure their UDelNet accounts. 2FA adds a time-sensitive security code to the normal username-and-password login process. Even if a hacker steals or guesses a person’s password, he or she won’t be able to log in without their security code, which is typically provided through the Google Authenticator app or via text message to their phone.

“Two-factor authentication is one of the simplest and most powerful tools that students, faculty, and staff can use to protect their personal information and the University,” affirms Jason Cash, interim vice president for information technologies. “With a few extra seconds in the login process, you get a critical second line of defense against the hackers and phishers who want access to your personal information and records.”

Over 5,800 students, faculty, and staff have already enrolled in 2FA at UD. Those who haven’t already are encouraged to join them in protecting the University community against cyber attack.

For more information about 2FA and other security tools and practices, visit the new Secure UD website.

The third phase of Secure UD Training was recently released in preparation for NCSAM. Members of the campus community are invited to get their Certificate of Completion and demonstrate cybersecurity awareness.

For more information about the Lock Down Your Login campaign, read this CBS article or follow #LockDownURLogin on Twitter.