Google is about to make two-factor authentication the default for millions of accounts
Keeping all of your online accounts and their passwords secure can be difficult especially if you're not using a password manager which is why Google plans to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for an additional 150m users by the end of the year. The search giant checks the security of 1bn passwords each day to protect the accounts of its users from being hacked. One of the ways that Google does this is through its password manager which is built directly into Chrome, Android and the Google App. Not only does the company's password manager use the latest security technology to keep your passwords safe across all of the sites and apps you use, it also contains a password generator that makes it easier to create strong, unique passwords on all of your devices. While Google's password manager offers improved protection on Android smartphones, iPhone users can select Chrome to autofill saved passwords in other apps in iOS. However, the company is planning to roll out an update that will allow iPhone users to take advantage of Chrome's strong password generation feature for any iOS app in a similar way to how Autofill with Google works on Android. Although using strong and unique passwords can help protect your online accounts, having a second form of authentication dramatically decreases an attacker's chances of gaining access to them. For years now, Google has been innovating in two-step verification (2SV) which is quite similar to 2FA. However, 2SV is the strongest when it combines “something you know” like a password with “something you have” such as your smartphone or a security key. In fact, Google was even able to fight off phishing attacks by having its own employees use 2SV with their accounts. After announcing its plans to make 2FA mandatory to commemorate World Password Day back in May, the company has provided further details on its plan to enroll even more users in a new blog post. While Google has begun to automatically configure its users' accounts to use 2FA, by the end of 2021 the company plans to auto-enroll an additional 150m Google users and require 2m YouTube creators to turn it on. The search giant is aware that today's 2FA options aren't suitable for everyone which is why its working on technologies to provide a convenient, secure authentication experience and reduce the reliance on passwords in the long-term. Google is currently auto-enrolling Google accounts that have the proper backup mechanisms in place to make a seamless transition to 2FA and interested users can take the company's Security Checkup to see if their account already has the right settings in place.
Auto-enrolling users in 2FA