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Google is about to turn on two-factor authentication by default for millions of users

October 5, 2021/in Mobile Security

In May, Google announced plans to enable two-factor authentication (or two-step verification as it’s referring to the setup) by default to enable more security for many accounts. Now it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Google is once again reminding us of that plan, saying in a blog post that it will enable two-factor for 150 million more accounts by the end of this year.

In 2018, Google said that only 10 percent of its active accounts were using two-factor authentication. It has been pushing, prodding, and encouraging people to enable the setting ever since. Another prong of the effort will require more than 2 million YouTube creators to turn on two-factor authentication to protect their channels from takeover. Google says it has partnered with organizations to give away more than 10,000 hardware security keys every year. Its push for two-factor has made the technology readily available on your phone whether you use Android or iPhone.

A tool that also helps users keep their accounts secure is using a password manager, and Google now says that it checks over a billion passwords a day via its built-in manager for Chrome, Android, and the Google app. The password manager is also available on iOS, where Chrome can autofill logins for other apps. Google says that soon it will help you generate passwords for other apps, making things even more straightforward. Also coming soon is the ability to see all of your saved passwords directly from the Google app menu.

Last but not least, Google is highlighting its Inactive Account Manager. This is a set of decisions to make about what happens to your account if you decide to stop using it or are no longer around and able to make those decisions.

Google added the feature in 2013 so that you can set a timeout period for your account between three and 18 months of disuse before the Inactive Account Manager protocols take effect. Just in case you only switched accounts or forgot about your login, Google will send an email a month before the limit is up. At that point, you can choose to have your information deleted…

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T-Mobile hack is every reason you need two-factor authentication. How and why to use it

August 23, 2021/in Internet Security

T-Mobile has spent the last week doing damage control after the wireless carrier admitted it’d been hacked. Thus far, T-Mobile has discovered that 54 million customers have had their personal information, including names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers accessed.

The T-Mobile hack is exactly why you should use two-factor authentication. You can never be too careful with your online accounts. Sarah Tew/CNET

© Provided by CNET
The T-Mobile hack is exactly why you should use two-factor authentication. You can never be too careful with your online accounts. Sarah Tew/CNET

The T-Mobile hack is exactly why you should use two-factor authentication. You can never be too careful with your online accounts.

© Sarah Tew/CNET

The T-Mobile hack is exactly why you should use two-factor authentication. You can never be too careful with your online accounts.

Whenever breaches like this happen, it’s common to wonder what more you can do to help protect your personal information from any scenario that could expose your sensitive information to hacking and fraud. The answer is: A lot. Start by creating and using complex passwords stored in a password manager, and then enable two-factor authentication for every account you have that supports boosting the security of your account. You should also check to see if your account passwords are already on the dark web, and then change them; again, using a password manager.

Two-factor authentication may sound technical, but it’s more time-consuming to set up than anything. Below I’ll explain what two-factor authentication is and how it works, offer some best practices, and provide a shortlist of popular websites that support your accounts’ added layer of security. Trust me, it’s worth it.

T-Mobile data breach: What you need to know

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What is two-factor authentication?

Two-factor authentication (also sometimes written as 2FA) is also commonly referred to as two-step verification or multi-factor verification. For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to refer to it as 2FA or two-factor authentication for the duration of this post.

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Think of two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your online accounts. If you’re not using 2FA on an account, your login process involves entering your username and password, and that’s it….

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Secure your Zoom account with Two-Factor Authentication

September 14, 2020/in Computer Security

We’ve said it once, we’ve said it twice, we’ve said it one hundred times. Hardening the security of your accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA) can dramatically reduce their chances of being hacked. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security website.
Graham Cluley

Meet EventBot, a new Android malware that steals banking passwords and two-factor codes – TechCrunch

April 30, 2020/in Computer Security

Meet EventBot, a new Android malware that steals banking passwords and two-factor codes TechCrunch
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What is two-factor authentication?