Due to the increasing importance of digital security in the modern era, the state agency Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has shared important information to protect citizens of India. The agency strongly recommends that all users activate two-factor authentication on all their accounts.
According to CERT-In data, users should use multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever this feature is available. This warning was issued during the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October 2026, whose theme this year is 'Developing a culture of hygiene in cybersecurity'.
CERT-In distributed cybersecurity posters via the X platform, emphasizing the significance of MFA. Furthermore, it was recommended to use authenticator applications and hardware security devices instead of verification codes received via SMS. Users are advised to avoid approving unknown authentication requests.
According to the CERT-In poster, MFA must be enabled where this option is provided. This process requires the user to perform an additional authentication step besides entering a password, which ensures a double level of account protection.
CERT-In advised using authenticator applications that generate time-based one-time passwords instead of SMS codes. Security devices can also be used.
The agency warned users about the danger of ignoring unknown MFA push notifications and strictly prohibited approving any authentication requests they did not initiate themselves. Only requests initiated by the user should be approved.
The CERT-In poster also informs that users can report any cybersecurity incidents directly to CERT-In by sending an email to incident@cert-in.org.in.