Complaints about two-factor authentication are on the rise
Of companies that use two-factor authentication, 74 percent admit that they receive complaints about it from their users -- and nearly 10 percent of them just ‘hate it.’
This rather surprising information comes from a studty by access control company SecureAuth, carried out in conjunction with Amplitude Research, which surveyed 300 IT decision makers and cybersecurity professionals on industry perspectives and concerns over 2FA.
Two factor authentication is not enough
The general consensus appears to be that two-factor authentication (2FA) is the answer to our authentication needs. Be that from usage of consumer sites in our personal lives or as part of our daily requirements when signing into enterprise infrastructure and applications at work.
However the cyber-attack on Three's customer upgrade database is yet another example of how 2FA is not enough. Organizations must move away from relying solely on usernames and passwords, as once again access was gained with a stolen employee login.
Few UK banks offer two factor authentication
According to new research from the consumers' association Which?, a number of major UK banks have failed to protect their customers online by not adopting two-factor security, which greatly protects against online banking fraud.
The association tested the customer-side security of 11 banks, revealing that over half had failed to implement two-factor ID checks on customers when they logged into their accounts. Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Santander and TSB were the banks which scored the lowest on the tests conducted by Which?.
What you need to know about two factor authentication
Picture this: you open your laptop to begin checking online sales for your business. You log in with your email address, only to receive an uncharacteristic error message: "Your Password is Invalid". You type in the password again. "Your Password is Invalid". You try again. "Your account has been temporarily locked. Please contact support".
You quickly grab the phone and begin to dial. As you wait on hold, you decide to check your business’ website and are stunned to see a "Web Page Not Found" error. A technical support specialist answers your call and begins to explain that the website and linked email account have been hacked.
Google prompt makes two factor authentication less of a hassle
Two factor authentication is one of the most convenient options for securing a user account, which is why you will find this feature available in many of the top cloud services. It can be argued though that it can be made even easier to deal with, specifically in cases when users frequently need to access their accounts from new devices.
The problem there is that, the way that it is typically implemented, users usually have to get a verification code via SMS or retrieve it from a dedicated app to finish the authentication process, which is something that many folks may find very annoying over time. So, to make the whole process easy for its users, Google is now rolling out a new option for two-factor authentication, known as Google prompt.
LastPass Authenticator aims to make two-factor authentication simpler
LastPass has released LastPass Authenticator 1.0 for Android, iPhone and Windows Phone. It’s aimed at LastPass users who want a simple and convenient way to add two-factor authentication to their major online accounts.
The app is TOTP-compliant, so works with the same services as the better known Google Authenticator app, but aims to carve a niche for itself with a unique proposition for end users.
Android Trojan targets customers of major banks and can bypass 2FA
Researchers at security company ESET have uncovered a new strain of Android malware that can steal the login credentials of mobile banking users.
Named Android/Spy.Agent.SI, the malware presents victims with a fake version of the login screen of their banking application and locks the screen until they enter their username and password.
Taking enterprise security to the next level with two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) has been about for much longer than you think. For a decade or more we have been used to being issued with a card reader (in essence a hardware token device) to use with our bank card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) when looking to complete our internet banking transactions.
2FA technology has also, over the past years, been employed by seven of the ten largest social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) as their authentication measure of choice.
How to enable two-factor authentication on your Amazon account
One of the best ways to protect your online accounts is by using two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. With this activated, logging into a site requires the use of both a password, and a code sent to your mobile phone. Since most of us have our smartphones within easy reach 24/7, this isn’t as much of a chore as it could be, and it certainly delivers a useful layer of additional security.
Not all sites offer this feature however, Amazon being a prime example (pun intended). However, from today that all changes, as the retail giant has quietly introduced the option to set up two-factor authentication on your Amazon account. This means that even if your password falls into the wrong hands, no one will be able to get into your account and go shopping at your expense. This is what you need to do:
RoboForm boosts security with two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is increasingly common as a way of verifying logins to websites so that you’re not relying on just a password.
Now Siber Systems maker of the popular RoboForm password manager is adding 2FA to allow users to receive a password via text message to verify trusted desktop, laptop and mobile devices for repeat use with the software.
Twitch flips the switch on two-factor authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication is a simple and effective way to beef up the security of your online accounts. Also known as 2FA, it introduces an additional step in the log in process, which typically requires the user to enter a code received via SMS or retrieved from an app, after their password is validated.
To take advantage of two-factor authentication the services that you use have to offer this feature, which is not always the case. But, as far as Twitch is concerned, two-factor authentication is no longer missing from the options.
Ambient sound can be part of two-factor authentication
For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past few years, two-factor authentication is something that you use to re-verify your credentials to log into a particular site or service. This authentication is typically completed in the form of text message, a phone call, or a notification on your smartphone.
Although 2FA is extremely secure, it is also slightly annoying to have to open up a secondary app to authenticate yourself again. A couple of researchers from Switzerland want to make that process even easier and less annoying. So, the researchers want to get rid of the text-based bits and use ambient sound instead.
Snapchat for Android, iOS gets two-factor authentication
Snapchat has bolted on some extra security to its Android and iOS apps in the form of two-factor authentication.
The Verge spotted that with the latest version of the Snapchat app, when you log on from a new device, the software will send a text to the mobile registered with your account containing a security number.
Slack is tardy to the two-factor authentication party
Following a four-day long security breach back in February, chat and collaboration tool Slack is finally getting two-factor authentication. Last month, the encrypted central user database was accessed by hackers although there is no indication that hashed passwords were decrypted.
Slack insists that no payment information was seen by hackers, and while the breach is far from good news, there is a silver lining: it has forced the company to look harder at security. Starting today, two-factor authentication is available which locks down accounts via the Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps.
Apple boosts iMessage and FaceTime security with two-factor authentication
It's something that has been supported by iCloud for a while now. Bringing two factor authentication to iMessage and FaceTime means that messages and video chats are now locked behind an extra layer of protection.
If you log out of your iMessage or FaceTime account, the next time you try to sign in you will be prompted to activate two factor authentication. This means you'll have to log into your account and generate an app-specific password before you can continue.
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