COVID-19 has brought a whole world of disruption; from closed businesses to furloughed staff, we’ve all had quite a bit to deal with. Sadly COVID’s impact doesn’t end there, as many small business owners have fallen victim to cyber attacks.

At Vantage Accounting, we include Xero accounting software for clients in many of our packages, so read on to explore what Xero, is doing to help prevent an attack happening through their platform.

How Xero is helping small business owners stay safe

This year all Xero users must now create and use multi-factor authentication (MFA), to help ensure that extra layer of security when keeping your data secure.

Xero are inviting users to opt into MFA and use an authentication app – like Xero Verify – from early April 2021, before it becomes mandatory. Xero Verify is Xero’s newest MFA app which sends the user push notifications when it registers someone trying to log into your account, so that you’re able to verify who the user actually is. It gives that extra ‘belt and braces’ for you to be able to double check who’s accessing your account, should someone have the opportunity to get their hands on your password.

Please note: if you have other people who need access to your Xero account, such as payroll employees or those who use the Xero portal and ask portal, they won’t need to set up MFA.

Preparing for MFA

Before setting up MFA, you must ensure the following three things are completed:

1. you h ave an iOS or Android smartphone to download and use Xero Verify or another authentication app. You can also use Authy, a desktop authenticator.
2. You have a second email that’s different to your primary email which you use to log into your Xero account. This email will only be used should you get locked out of your account or if you don’t have your phone. Make sure to have a strong and unique password for every email account you use.
3. Every person who has access to your Xero account has a unique login and password. You can have as many users as you like with Xero, here’s how to add them to your account and a refresher on tips to keep your account safe.

At present there’s nothing else you’ll need to do, and Xero will get in touch early April 2021 with more information about the rollout and instructions on how to get MFA up and working.

In the meantime if you have any questions relating to Xero or any aspects of our service, please do get in touch.