Google has been offering users the ability to turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for a very long time, but in 2021 alone, the company announced that it would enable this feature by default for 150 million users. The solution turned out to be very successful: according to company statistics, the number of hacks of accounts participating in the project was halved.
Google two-factor authentication reduces the number of hacks by 50%
“In 2021, we automatically activated two-step verification for more than 150 million people. As a result, the number of compromised accounts decreased by 50%,” Google said in a statement.
Two-factor authentication allows you to protect access during authorization in addition to your account and password using one-time codes from SMS or a special application. Even if a hacker figured out the password and other details of an account, it would be much more difficult for him to gain access to it without special combinations of numbers and/or characters being sent to the user every time they try to log in.
While it annoys many people to take extra security steps, it often really helps protect an account from intruders and gives them time to raise an alarm if someone tries to hack into it. The possibility of hacking always remains, but in most cases, information security experts recommend activating this feature. It’s worth reiterating that Google’s statistics only refer to accounts that were automatically got two-factor authentication support last year.
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In addition to that, Google announced new tools for users to stay protected and safe online.
Keeping you safe online with Google
- More protection for high risk users: We are the first-choice for high risk users like election workers; journalists, and human rights workers. Ahead of the upcoming 2022 U.S. midterm elections, we’re expanding our efforts to protect these high risk users. We’ve teamed up with organizations across the political spectrum to establish the Campaign Security Project; providing organizations with the tools to train candidates and campaign workers on how to stay safe online. Groups include the Veterans Campaign, Collective Future, Women’s Public Leadership Network; LGBTQ Victory Institute, Center for American Ideas, University of San Francisco, Emerge, Latino Victory and more. This will build on our ongoing work with Defending Digital Campaigns, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative and Cybersecurity for State Leaders.
- Introducing Account Level Enhanced Safe Browsing: Coming next month; you will be able to opt in to Google’s account-level enhanced safe browsing feature; which provides our broadest security protection against threats you encounter on the web and against your Google Account. Soon you will be able to turn this setting on when you take a Security Checkup; or manually in your account settings.