two-factor authentication

More than ever before, modern businesses rely on technology. Their efficient functioning relies on Internet services, which is unlikely to alter in the near future. As a result, as organizations get larger, computer networks develop, and massive ... volumes of data are sent every day between computer systems. According to a survey conducted by Accenture, 68% of organizations across various industries believe that cyber security threats are growing. According to an FBI assessment, cyberattacks have grown by 300% since the epidemic began. Securing businesses large and small is vital to ensure the ... (view more)

Google is giving free USB security keys to around 10,000 users whose accounts are at particular risk. They include politicians and human rights activists. The move follows a targeted campaign linked to Russian hackers to try to trick such users into ... revealing their passwords. The attackers could then not only look for sensitive information in email archives but also use the hijacked accounts to spread misinformation. The USB keys use the two-factor authentication approach , adding an extra level of protection, meaning that simply getting somebody's password wasn't necessarily enough to get ... (view more)

Google is switching on two-factor authentication by default for 150 million users. It's also making it mandatory for two million people who upload videos to YouTube. The system means no longer relying on passwords as the only way to control access ... to account. Instead it adds a second method such as getting a security code on a particular phone. Two-Factor versus "Two-Step" Verification Google calls the concept two-step verification, though that doesn't really describe it properly. The more commonly used "two factor" term refers to the idea of combining different types of ... (view more)

Facebook is to stop treating user's phone numbers as a way to target advertising and recommend friends. Critics said the practice undermined a key security measure. The company says it wasn't collecting the numbers directly from phones or the ... Facebook app. Instead, users provided the number when taking advantage of two factor authentication. With this set-up, it means that if a user tries to log in to Facebook on a new device or from a new location, Facebook sends a security code by text message to the number on file. The user then has to type the code in to Facebook before they can login ... (view more)

Users of Android smartphones and tablets will soon get an instant warning when somebody attempts to log in to their Google account. The notification comes as an on-screen message, rather than by email. The new feature is designed to enhance ... two-factor authentication. That's an optional feature which means that if somebody tries to sign in to a Google account on another device, they will have to wait for a security code to be sent via email, text message or through a dedicated app so that they can continue to login to the account. If no code or the improper code is entered, then the ... (view more)

Google is testing a login method that doesn't require a password. The problem is that the method doesn't necessarily add any convenience and isn't as secure as it could be. Reports of the new method have come from a user at the discussion site ... Reddit, who was invited to test the new system. As part of the test, the user must have a smartphone registered. (Source: reddit.com ) The user posted screenshots which show the normal login screen but only asking for an email address (the Google equivalent of a user name) and not for a password. Code Sent To Mobile Screen The screenshots ... (view more)

Yahoo has introduced an option to log in without needing to remember a password. It requires a cellphone and may trade security for convenience. Under the new system, which is optional, users can choose not to use a standard passwords for future ... log-ins. Once activated, the system will mean a button appears on Yahoo's site when the user is ready to log in to the account. When the user clicks this button, Yahoo sends a one-time only, four character password to the user's cellphone. Once the user logs in, the password field becomes inactive. The process is then repeated the next time ... (view more)

If Google's latest acquisition is any indication, sound could be the key to enhanced login security. Set up by former members of the Israeli military, SlickLogin is based around high-frequency tones, virtually inaudible to the human ear. In theory ... the system could be used as the main way to log in to a site, but Google seems more likely to use it for two-factor authentication. The idea of two-factor authentication is to combine two different types of security measure: something you know, and something you have. With the system Google already uses, the 'something you know' is your ... (view more)