Google to turn on 2FA by
default for 150 million users, 2 million YouTubers
Two-factor authentication is a simple way to
greatly enhance the security of your account
Google has announced that
by the end of 2021 it plans to automatically enroll 150 million users into
two-step verification (2SV), a security measure also commonly known as two-factor authentication (2FA).
“For years, Google has been
at the forefront of innovation in two-step verification (2SV), one of the most
reliable ways to prevent unauthorized access to accounts and networks. 2SV is
strongest when it combines both “something you know” (like a password) and
“something you have” (like your phone or a security key),” the tech titan announced in a blog marking Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
In order to make 2SV as
user-friendly as possible, Google allows user devices to double as security
keys. It rolled out the feature for Android
devices in 2019 before making it also available for iOS
users with an update of the
Google Smart Lock app in 2020.
In addition, starting from
November 1st two million YouTube creators will need to have 2SV
turned on in order to access Studio, a move announced on the TeamYouTube
Twitter account recently. Let’s recall that YouTube accounts are often hijacked
by cybercriminals who use them to peddle all kinds of scams, including fake cryptocurrency giveaways.