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Cyber expert says simple step can help protect against hackers as you holiday shop online

PITTSBURGH — Passwords and username combinations can be stolen very easily and this time of year hackers are on the hunt. But there’s a very simple step you can take to make things basically impossible for them to gain access

“This year with limited supplies, people are intending to go online earlier, doing more shopping online trying to get the items for the holidays,” said Don Gray CTO ofPacket Viper.

Gray, a cybersecurity expert, said this year, more than ever, protecting your sensitive information should be a high priority. Account takeovers and password hacking could skyrocket this year. But Gray said one thing could stop hackers in their tracks: multifactor authentication.

It’s another layer of security that companies like Amazon and Google provide for their account holders. Examples include sending a verification code through text message or phone call.

“So what multifactor authentication does is it prevents them even if they know your password, they can’t get into your account,” Gray said.

He said it doesn’t matter what level of authentication you add to your accounts, it’s all worth it.