Google has announced that they’ll be making two-factor authentication a default standard moving forward to enhance the security of user accounts.
Passwords are supposed to be the first wall of defence against potential attacks. However, research shows that a significant chunk of people use weak passwords that can be easily cracked.
Google says that users enrolled in two-step verification (2SV or 2FA) will receive a prompt on their devices whenever they sign in to confirm their identity.
The company also plans to automatically enroll users who aren’t using 2SV if their accounts are configured. Users can see if their account is secure with additional authentication in their Google account’s Security Checkup page.
Google made it easier for Android users to verify their identity while accessing their account from a new device through Security Keys feature on their existing devices, which shows a confirmation prompt. The feature was launched in 2019. An app called Google Smart Lock does the same job for iOS users.
The company has also launched a new Password import feature, allowing people to upload up to 1000 passwords from third-party sites to Password Manager for Chrome, Android and iOS.
Also read: Why are companies trying to get rid of passwords?
“Features like Password Import, Password Manager and Security Checkup — combined with authentication products like Sign-in with Google — reduce the spread of weak credentials,” Google announced. “One day, we hope stolen passwords will be a thing of the past because passwords will be a thing of the past, but until then, Google will continue to keep you and your passwords safe.”
On Wednesday, the company announced that Youtube Shorts, its TikTok rival, will be rolling out to all creators in USA over the next week. The launch comes eight months after the feature was rolled out in Beta to Indian creators.
Last week, Google also announced that users would be able to teach Assistant the pronunciation of names in their contacts over the coming weeks, and it will also start understanding the context when setting timers and assisting in online searches.
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