We and our cooperation partners generally recommend protecting online accounts in two ways.

We've taken a look at why Google is now pushing for two-factor authentication and what exactly that means for you.

What is two-factor authentication? Two -factor authentication (also: two-step or two-way authentication) is an additional security measure to protect user accounts. In addition to the password, another security component must be entered when logging in, e.g. B. a PIN code. This code is sent to the user's mobile phone number stored in the account or a code generator is used. This means that even if passwords fall into the wrong hands, unauthorized persons will not have access to the user account because it is now doubly protected.

More detailed information about two-factor authentication can be found at the Internet Ombudsman's Office .

What do the changes on Google mean?

The option for two-factor authentication on Google has been around for a long time and using it is absolutely recommended step-by-step instructions will show you how to activate it ). Because even if the search engine first comes to mind, the Google account affects a variety of services such as Gmail or YouTube - and protecting these twice against unauthorized access should be standard for all users. This is probably also the thinking of Google itself, which has now automatically activated two-factor authentication for around 150 million accounts.

Once two-factor authentication is enabled, you can add an authenticator app like Google Authenticator . step-by-step guide from Heise.de shows how to do this .

Google services can still be used without two-factor authentication. This can easily be deactivated again after the automated changeover. However, if you want to protect your Google account from unauthorized access, you should retain two-factor authentication. ( Source )

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )