We've been chatting quite a bit about online security lately. Today, I'll be diving a little deeper with one of the tips that we offered earlier in August, two-step verification. Think of this post as sort of a security PSA, hopefully convincing you to take the extra precaution to protect your personal information...
Two-step verification, what it is and why it matters:
1. What it is: It's an extra layer of security for your online accounts.
2. How it works: For both Google & Dropbox it works like this, you enable it on your account and when you sign into a new computer or a device you must enter your password as well as code that they have sent to your mobile phone.
3. Why you should care: By asking for a code from your mobile phone (you set up what number they use when you enable the verification) it means that a hacker can't just obtain your password and get into your account, they must also have access to your mobile phone.
4. Does this make me 100% safe? No, nothing does, but it does make your account much, much more secure and had this been enabled on my Google account, it and the others that were connected to it, would not have been hacked.
Have you enabled two-step verification? If not, why not?
(Images 1: Mike Tyson, 2: Dropbox)
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I do have the two step verification turned on. However, will probably have to turn this off next time we go on vacation to a foreign country (where I won't have my cellphone with me). I feel like that will defeat the purpose, considering I will probably have to use public computers there to check my emails, etc, no?
Do it. It was the only thing that stopped a persistent hacker who had phished his way into my gmail account. Now I have it on all my accounts. It's less of a pain in the butt now that it remembers computers and you don't have to renew it every 30 days.
I use Two-Factor Authentication across a lot of my accounts. I feel a lot more secure when I can telesign into my account. If you have that option available to you use it, it is worth the time and effort to have the confidence that your account won't get hacked and your personal information isn't up for grabs. I'm hoping that more companies start to offer this awesome functionality. This should be a prerequisite to any system that wants to promote itself as being secure.
@TESS271
You can print out a list of one-time use authorization codes just for that situation. I have a list in my wallet that has come in handy a few times.
@runtrap never thought of doing that. thanks!!
@tess271
I believe you can also add a second phone to your account for authentication. If you are going to have a local cell phone number, you can have Google text you a one-time password every time you need to log in. It might or might not be an acceptable answer, but it still leaves you with a true two-factor login.