Google to Automatically Enroll Users in Two-Factor Authentication
Posted: May 11, 2021
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Anyone who uses any Google service knows that it has recently been pushing users to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on their accounts. Google sees 2FA as a replacement for passwords and claims that using it in place of passwords will increase the security of your online accounts. Soon, they'll be taking their suggestion for enabling 2FA one step further, and automatically activate it for user accounts. They will offer the option to opt-out, for the time being, but at some point, we can expect they'll do away with passwords altogether and require 2FA.
Mark Hachman, Senior Editor,
PCWorld, explains Google's plan to automatically enroll users in two-factor authentication.
Most security experts agree that two-factor authentication (2FA) is a critical part of securing your online accounts. Google agrees, but it’s taking an extra step: It’s going to sign up Google account holders up for two-factor accounts automatically.
Google sees two-factor authentication as a replacement for passwords, which Mark Risher, Google’s director of product management for identity and user security, in a statement called “the single biggest threat to your online security.” Because they’re easy to steal and hard to remember, users will end up reusing passwords. If stolen, they can be used to unlock multiple user accounts, adding to the risk.
Google already uses 2FA to secure accounts, but it’s been optional until now.
Read the entire article,
Google will automatically enroll users in two-factor authentication soon, on
PCWorld.