For the past few years, Google has aggressively encouraged adoption of two-factor authentication (2FA) — or 2-Step Verification (2SV) as the company refers to it. This includes physical security keys that plug in over USB, while it also offers phone security keys. The latest effort turns Chrome for Android into a security key for Google Account sign-in.
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Google in recent months has expanded and simplified 2-step verification across first-party services. Security keys for Google Accounts can now be enrolled on Android and macOS.
Google in recent years has been all-in on security keys from making its own Titan line to introducing ones integrated with your existing Android and iOS phones. To spur innovation, Google today launched OpenSK — an open-source project that lets developers build their own security keys.
The best way to protect online accounts is with a security key that ensures you’re the one signing in. However, enterprise users still have legacy systems like Internet Explorer or remote desktops that don’t support the new log-in method. Google now has security codes created using security keys for those scenarios.
Last year at Cloud Next, Google announced its own Titan Security Key as part of a push to encourage two-step verification. These small devices fight phishing by requiring a physical confirmation that you are the one logging into an account. Google today announced that all Android 7+ phones can be used as security keys to sign into the company’s services.
It’s not easy to keep our online lives secure, but Google is working to take some of the hassles out of it. Recently, the company announced that it would let users turn any Android Nougat smartphone into a security key for their Google account. Here’s how to do just that.
On the consumer front, G Suite is comprised of Gmail, Docs, Hangouts Chat, and more, while administrators have access to a set of security features. The Security Center is gaining a new investigation tool to find threats. Meanwhile, Google highlights that with Security Keys there have bene “zero reported or detected hijackings” of G Suite accounts.
Two-factor authentication is increasingly becoming a requirement to protect online accounts from phishing attacks. With methods ranging from SMS to prompts, one of the more secure forms involves Security Keys, with Google highlighting the success of rolling out these devices.