Strengthening Your Digital Security: Why Multi-Factor Authentication Is Essential at Farm Credit East AND in your personal life!

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time when organizations across the country come together to promote safer online practices. At Farm Credit East, we take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to protecting your financial information and to highlight one of the most important tools available to do that: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

You already use MFA when you log into our customer portal, Farm Credit Connect. But do you know why it’s there, and how it helps protect your account from today’s most serious cyber threats?

What Is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?

MFA is a security feature that requires you to verify your identity using two or more methods before accessing your account. These methods typically include:

• Something you know — like your password
• Something you have — such as a one-time code sent to your phone or email
• Something you are – such as a fingerprint, facial recognition, etc.

The secondary verification makes it much harder for cybercriminals to gain access, even if they’ve somehow obtained your password.

Why MFA Matters More Than Ever

Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated every day. Criminals use phishing emails, fake login pages and stolen credentials to try to break into accounts. In the financial sector, and especially in agriculture, where operations are often family-run and community-based, these attacks can have devastating consequences.

MFA helps prevent:

• Unauthorized access to your accounts
• Identity theft and fraud
• Disruptions to your business or personal finances

It’s a simple, effective way to protect what matters most.

Strengthening your Security and Trust

If you’ve logged into Farm Credit Connect, our customer portal recently, you’ve experienced MFA in action. After entering your username and password, you’re prompted to enter a verification code sent to your phone or email. This process takes just a few seconds, but it adds a powerful layer of protection.

We’ve implemented MFA, not just because it’s a best practice, but because this extra step protects the trust you place in us and ensures your information remains secure. Farm Credit East is continually strengthening our information security systems to stay ahead of evolving risks, ensuring your business, your information, and the integrity of our cooperative is protected for the long term.

As part of this ongoing effort, MFA may be extended to additional applications in the future to further safeguard sensitive information. This enhanced security reflects our ongoing commitment to keeping customer information secure.

We strongly encourage you to make MFA a standard part of your personal digital practices, not just your business accounts. Whether you’re managing email, social media or online banking, enabling MFA adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access and identity theft.

Security Is a Shared Responsibility

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a reminder that protecting your information is a team effort. While we invest in advanced security tools and practices, your vigilance also plays a key role.

Here’s how you can help:

• Keep your contact information up to date so MFA codes reach you reliably
• Use strong, unique passwords
• Be cautious of suspicious emails or messages asking for personal information
• Report anything unusual — if something doesn’t feel right, let us know

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we thank you for partnering with us in protecting your information. MFA is just one of the many ways we’re working to keep your data safe, your account secure and your future protected.

Additional Resources

For additional insights on the measures Farm Credit East has in place to protect customer information, please visit our information security page. Additionally, if you ever notice suspicious activity, be sure to take action immediately by sending an email to security@farmcrediteast.com.