Google, in celebration of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, plans to automatically enroll 150 million users by the end of 2021.
What is this new protocol? In fact, it’s a 2-step verification to be able to properly identify a person’s account, for example a YouTube account. Having 2 authentication steps reduces the risk of hacking your account and also your personal information.This new method makes it harder for scammers to take control of your online identity and prove they really are you when they take over your account.
How it works?
Normally you would only enter your username and password. This protocol uses an additional step. After that it will generate a code that will change every 30-60 seconds. You will receive this code by SMS or via an application.
Although it’s more convenient to receive the code on your phone (SMS), it might be better via an app. Why? Because hackers may have already defrauded your phone. This means that if you always use SMS as an extra step to protect your accounts, they will have access to all of your online accounts. It will be very difficult to prove at this time that it is not you.
But what application used in this case? There are apps that can help you store your passwords securely. For Google users, there is google Authenticator or a password manager to store your temporary codes.
Just be very careful when using an extra passcode, make sure you never lose it. Because if you lose it, it’s going to be super-complicated to regain access to your accounts. Companies like Apple don’t mess with these security codes. Some people write them down in a notebook in case they lose them 🙂
