Department of Defence Australians are being urged to strengthen proof of identity protections to help stop cybercriminals gaining unauthorised access to online information and accounts. Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Andrew Hastie MP, warned that cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to steal money and personal data from Australians, and multi-factor authentication is an effective way to protect against these cyber threats. Multi-factor authentication, or MFA, is a cyber security measure that requires two or more pieces of evidence to prove a person’s identity to gain access to a device, online account or program. “Where possible, we are encouraging people to use multi-factor authentication on your online programs and devices for greater protections against cybercrime and cybercriminals,” Assistant Minister Hastie said.