Google Authenticator – Network Securitas

September 7, 2016

The Limits of SMS for 2-Factor Authentication

This post was originally published on this siteA recent ping from a reader reminded me that I’ve been meaning to blog about the security limitations of using cell phone text messages for two-factor authentication online. The reader’s daughter had received a text message claiming to be from Google, warning that her Gmail account had been locked because someone in India had tried to access her account. The young woman was advised to expect a 6-digit verification code to be sent to her and to reply to the scammer’s message with that code. Mark Cobb, a computer technician in Reno, Nev., said […]

September 7, 2016

The Limits of SMS for 2-Factor Authentication

This post was originally published on this siteA recent ping from a reader reminded me that I’ve been meaning to blog about the security limitations of using cell phone text messages for two-factor authentication online. The reader’s daughter had received a text message claiming to be from Google, warning that her Gmail account had been locked because someone in India had tried to access her account. The young woman was advised to expect a 6-digit verification code to be sent to her and to reply to the scammer’s message with that code. Mark Cobb, a computer technician in Reno, Nev., said […]

May 10, 2017

SSA.GOV To Require Stronger Authentication

This post was originally published on this siteThe U.S. Social Security Administration will soon require Americans to use stronger authentication when accessing their accounts at ssa.gov. As part of the change, SSA will require all users to enter a username and password in addition to a one-time security code sent their email or phone. In this post, we’ll parse this a bit more and look at some additional security options for SSA users. The SSA recently updated its portal with the following message: The Social Security Administration’s message to Americans regarding the new loginchanges coming in July 2017. I read that […]

August 27, 2017

Is Your Mobile Carrier Your Weakest Link?

This post was originally published on this siteMore online services than ever now offer two-step authentication — requiring customers to complete a login using their phone or other mobile device after supplying a username and password. But with so many services relying on your mobile for that second factor, there has never been more riding on the security of your mobile account. Below are some tips to ensure your mobile device (or, more specifically, your mobile carrier) isn’t the weakest link in your security chain. For reasons explored more in The Value of a Hacked Email Account, many people become so preoccupied with securing […]