Your password can be stolen. How to protect your business

You open a familiar site, type your password, and confirm the login with a code from your app. Everything looks normal.

But the site is fake. While you were typing, the attackers were using your details to sign in to the real dashboard.

Now they have your account. And two-factor authentication did not stop them.

How is that possible, and what can you do about it?

Why a password alone is not enough

Passwords get stolen, guessed, and found in data leaks. Even a strong password will not help if you type it into a fake site by accident.

According to Verizon, stolen credentials appeared at some stage of the attack in 39% of the breaches examined in the 2026 report.

For a business the consequences can be serious. Financial information, payment history and company settings can all end up in someone else's hands.

So a password on its own is no longer enough.

How two-factor authentication works

It is simple: after your password, the system asks you to confirm that it really is you.

That might be a code from an app, or your fingerprint.

Even if attackers learn your password, they cannot simply walk into your account without the second confirmation.

And it genuinely works. In a Microsoft study on 2022 data, the extra check cut the risk of compromise by more than 99%.

There is one catch: different confirmation methods protect you to very different degrees.

A code from an app, or a passkey?

The familiar option is a six-digit code from Google Authenticator or a similar app.

That is good protection, but it has a weak spot. A fake site can ask for the code along with the password. If the attackers use both straight away, they get into the real dashboard.

Passkeys solve exactly this problem.

Instead of a password and codes, you confirm the login with your fingerprint, Face ID, or a dedicated hardware key.

A passkey is tied to the address of the real site. Even if attackers build a perfect copy of the login page, your key will not work on the fake address.

It is more convenient and safer at the same time.

Of course, no protection is absolute. But passkeys remove one of the most common account-theft schemes in circulation.

What if you lose your phone?

That is what recovery codes are for.

When you set up the protection, you get a set of one-time codes that let you sign in if your phone is lost or breaks.

The main thing is to save them in advance.

A password manager works, or a printout kept somewhere safe. Photographing the codes and keeping them only on the same phone is a bad idea.

And never pass these codes to anyone, even someone who says they work in support.

Two-factor authentication is now in Polako Finance

Since 23 October 2026, extra sign-in protection is available in your Polako Finance dashboard.

You can pick whichever method suits you:

Authenticator app

Connect Google Authenticator, 1Password, Authy or another compatible app. Signing in will ask for a six-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds.

Passkey

Sign in with Face ID, a fingerprint, or a hardware key. You can skip the password entirely and use the "Sign in with a passkey" button.

Recovery codes

When you switch the protection on, you get 10 one-time codes in case you lose access to your main device.

Extra safeguards

We built in several measures for the case where someone does try to break in:

• Adding or removing a confirmation method requires your password again.
• Removing a connected method ends every active session.
• After five wrong codes, the system sends you back to the password step.
• After 15 failed attempts within 15 minutes, sign-in is temporarily limited.

This helps protect the dashboard even if someone has got hold of an already open session.

How to turn it on

Setup takes about a minute.

1. Open your profile in the Polako Finance dashboard.
2. Go to the "Sign-in security" section.
3. Choose an authenticator app or a passkey.
4. Follow the steps and save your recovery codes.

We recommend the passkey. It is easier than codes and considerably better at protecting you from fake sites.

One minute that can save your business

A hacked account is not just a lost password. It is the risk of leaked data, actions taken in your name, and a long road back to getting access returned.

We added two-factor authentication so that this is one less thing for you to worry about.

Spend a minute protecting your account today. It may be the minute that saves your business from a serious problem one day.

Open Polako Finance, go to Profile, then "Sign-in security", and switch the extra protection on.