Google May Require You To Use 2 Factor Authentication To Login

Two factor authentication or 2FA, has been around quite a while. It adds an extra layer of protection against unscrupulous individuals wanting unauthorized access to a user’s account. The 2FA consists of the use of your password and a secondary authentication pin or confirmation sent from another device, usually your smartphone.

Google is going to make the use of 2FA, which it calls two-step verification (2SV), mandatory to users with Google accounts. What this means is, when you login with your password, you’ll also receive a prompt on your phone, which you will need to tap to authorize said login attempt. G Suite users are already familiar with said protocol, which we consider a Godsend.

Presently, Google is only enabling 2SV for users who have configured their account appropriately. This vague explanation doesn’t shed much light on what to expect. But you can check the status of your account and whether you’re “eligible” for the 2SV rollout by checking the Security Checkup section of your account settings.

The Search giant is taking its security protocols further by building more of such technologies into devices to make multi-factor authentication as seamless as possible. This Google says, is far more secure than using a password to access a certain account. It hopes that one day, such tech will make hacking or theft passwords a thing of the past.

Google has already taken major strides in development of better security features. It has built in security keys directly into Android devices and launched Google Smart Lock for iOS as well. Password Manager, which is built directly into Chrome, Android and iOS, helps keep your passwords secure across all the sites and apps that you use.

Credit: Google

It’s the reason why Chrome can suggest random but complex passwords whenever you sign up for an account on any site. Your browser saves them in Password Manager, then automatically fills it in the password section the next time you access said site. This negates the need for creating an easy to remember password that will probably be recycled across several accounts.

Password Manager is also integrated with Google Security Checkup. It’s a feature that tells you if your passwords have been compromised, if you are reusing passwords across different sites, and the strength of your passwords. In the future, the company hopes that this security technology will mature to a point where it renders the use of alphanumeric passwords obsolete.