Google plans two-factor authentication by default setting for millions of users

Image Courtesy: Zapier

Google announced intentions in May to enable two-factor authentication (or two-step verification as it refers to the setup) by default in order to increase security for many users. Now that it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Google is reminding us of that goal once more, announcing in a blog post that it will allow two-factor authentication for 150 million more accounts by the end of the year.

Google said in 2018 that just 10% of its active accounts used two-factor authentication. Since then, it has been pushing, prodding, and urging users to activate the setting. Another component of the endeavour will necessitate the activation of two-factor authentication by over 2 million YouTube producers in order to safeguard their channels from takeover. Google claims to have worked with groups to provide over 10,000 hardware security keys each year. Its drive for two-factor authentication has made the technology widely available on smartphones, whether Android or iPhone.

A password manager is another tool that may help users keep their accounts secure, and Google currently claims to check over a billion passwords every day via its built-in manager for Chrome, Android, and the Google app. Chrome can autofill logins for other applications in the password manager, which is also accessible on iOS. Google claims it will soon let you generate passwords for other applications, making things even easier. Another feature that will be available shortly is the option to view all of your stored passwords directly from the Google app menu.

A password manager is another tool that may help users keep their accounts secure, and Google currently claims to check over a billion passwords every day via its built-in manager for Chrome, Android, and the Google app. Chrome can autofill logins for other applications in the password manager, which is also accessible on iOS. Google claims it will soon let you generate passwords for other applications, making things even easier. Another feature that will be available shortly is the option to view all of your stored passwords directly from the Google app menu.

Finally, Google is emphasising its Inactive Account Manager. This is a collection of choices regarding what happens to your account if you decide to stop using it or if you are no longer alive and able to make those choices.

Google introduced the functionality in 2013, allowing you to specify a timeout period for your account of three to 18 months before the Inactive Account Manager procedures take effect. If you just switched accounts or forgot your login, Google will send you an email a month before the restriction expires. At that point, you have the option of having your information destroyed or passed to whichever trustworthy contacts you want managing things on your behalf. According to Google’s blog post, an inactive account was responsible for the huge Colonial Pipeline assault earlier this year, and for security’s sake, you definitely don’t want your digital life simply sitting there unused for whatever hackers are bored with in the future.