Google announced in their blog post that they plan to auto-enrol 150 million more Google users in 2SV and require 2 million YouTube creators to turn it on.
That means Google users will not only need to enter a password when they sign in, but they will also need to tap a pop-up on their smartphone to gain access.
The announcement is a part of Google’s efforts to make their sign-in safer.
Why The Hassle?
Passwords are often our first line of defence online. However, with so many sign-ins, naturally, we begin to develop shortcuts, easy to remember fallback passwords that we use almost everywhere.
But, that is just one of its shortcomings.
On their own, passwords are weak so a two-step verification (2SV) method was introduced. It is similar to two-factor authentication (2FA).
Google’s 2SV usually pops up on your smartphone as a prompt. On other services it may ask you to enter a six-digit code from an authenticator app instead. That’s also known as 2FA.
There are other methods as well, such as using a security dongle (USB key).
Not For Everyone
Google admits that 2SV is not for everyone and that the auto-enrolment will only affect Google accounts that have proper backup mechanisms in place.
It means that only Google accounts with alternative authentication methods will be made to use 2SV.
This way, if the user loses their smartphone, they will not be locked out of their account.
