Not All 2FA Is Equal

ByRussell Kirkpatrick Tech Talk
TechTalk - 2FA Note All Equal

Not All 2FA Is Equal

Passwords are no longer strong enough to keep cybercriminals and other bad elements away. More security practices are essential and quickly becoming a common practice. If you have not been exposed to 2FA, then it is critical to jump on board.

2-Factor Authentication (2FA) is extremely important and I urge every one of my clients to use this whenever possible. It is equally important to understand that not all 2FA security is the same. The 3 most common security types are EMAIL, SMS, and by AUTHENTICATOR app.

EMAIL 2FA

This type of security sends a numeric code to your email address. Unless email passwords are changed regularly to protect the account, I advise not choosing this method of security if at all possible. 

Anyone having access to your email will have access to receive codes. With that said, having this is better than not using 2FA at all.

SMS 2FA

This type of security sends a numeric code to a phone as a text message. Cellular service is required to use this type of security. This is better than EMAIL 2FA but can be intercepted by other devices without your knowledge. 

Again it’s better than not using 2FA at all.

AUTHENTICATOR APP 2FA

This type of security requires a Mobile App to be installed on a smartphone. The APP generates numeric codes that change every 30-seconds. This is by far better than EMAIL and SMS 2FA types, and the overall recommended method for 2FA.

  • Google Authenticator App
  • Microsoft Authenticator App
  • DUO Mobile App
  • Authy App

RECOMMENDATIONS

My overall recommendation is to use one or more of these Authenticator Apps – I prefer Google Authenticator. All of these have pros and cons, which we will discuss in a future article.

Russell Kirkpatick
President | Founder
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