You should also save account recovery codes provided by the sites, and store them somewhere safe, such as in a password manager. Note that you can scan the code to more than one phone, if you want a backup. Setting up 2FA usually involves scanning a QR code on the site with your phone's authenticator app. Most sites offer the simple SMS code option, but go past that and look for the authenticator app support. There you can read about the processes for setting up 2FA for the major services from Amazon to Yahoo.
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You can find out about which sites offer multifactor authentication options in our story, Two-Factor Authentication: Who Has It and How to Set It Up. You set up the authentication on a site’s security settings page, in the two-factor or multifactor authentication section-nearly every financial site offers this option. An authenticator app on your smartphone generates codes that never travel through your mobile network, with the potential for exposure and compromise that entails. A vulnerability in SMS messaging recently came to light that let crooks reroute text messages. However, that turns out not to be the best way to do 2FA. Yes, you can implement MFA simply by having your banking site send you a text message with a code you then enter into the site to gain access. What's the Best Kind of Two-Factor Authentication? When you use one of the authenticator apps included here, you bolster the password you know with the token, smartphone, or smartwatch that you have. Experts classify authentication factors in three groups: something you know (a password, for example), something you have (a physical object), and something you are (a fingerprint or other biometric trait). What Is Two-Factor Authentication?Īs the name implies, it's simply using more than just a password to get into your online account or app-adding another factor in addition to that password.
Using one of these apps can even help protect you against stealthy attacks like stalkerware. Authenticator apps, such as Authy, Google Authenticator, or Microsoft Authenticator, enable one of the more-secure forms of 2FA. Two-factor authentication (2FA or MFA, for multifactor authentication) adds another layer of protection, and PCMag writers frequently exhort our audience to use it. Leaks and hacks we’ve read about in recent years make it clear that passwords alone don't provide enough security to protect your online bank account or social media accounts.
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