Your IT Consultant

2FA Drops Chance of Google Account Takeover by 50%

February 9, 2022

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a subset of MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication). Google calls its implementation of MFA Two-Step Verification (2SV). No matter what label you put on it, having additional factor(s) for authentication is a really good thing. CNET reported that at the end of 2021, Google automatically enrolled 150 million users and 2 million YouTube users in 2SV. The move dropped the chances of account compromise by 50%. As Google stated, “This decrease speaks volumes to how effective having a second form of verification can be in protecting your data and personal information. Turn on 2SV (or we will!), as it makes all the difference in the event your password is compromised.”

You should be using MFA for every system and application you access. Most implementations of MFA allow you to trust the device for some period of time (e.g. 15 days, 30 days, etc.) before being prompted for the second factor again. Some systems will prompt for the second factor every time you login. It will increase the time to login, but it is well worth it to secure your account.

Email:   Phone: 703.359.0700
Digital Forensics/Cybersecurity/Information Technology
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsimek
https://amazon.com/author/johnsimek
https://senseient.com