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by John W. Simek, Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.

Better Choices than Google Authenticator for 2FA

January 20, 2020

If you haven't done it yet, turn on two factor authentication (2FA – some call it MFA) for every service where it is available. You may have a choice to receive the second factor via a text message, but using an authentication app is far more secure and not subject to a SIM swapping attack. Which app should you use? ZDNet makes the case for NOT using the Google Authenticator app.

One limitation is that it only runs on Android, iOS and BlackBerry. There are also issues with setting up Google Authenticator across multiple devices. A big drawback is having to go back and configure each one of your 2FA enabled apps if you swap out your mobile device. There are some workarounds, but overall it is a royal pain if you upgrade your phone. Some password managers (e.g. 1Password, LastPass, etc.) may also support authenticator codes. Take a look at Authy too, which is what the author selected.

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