Anyone with a Gmail or Google Apps account should turn on Google’s two-factor authentication to make your Gmail account safer and less likely to get hacked.
Video Transcription
How to enable Google two step authentication:
The first thing I would like to talk about is enabling two step authentication in Google. Anyone that has Gmail or Google Apps account should really be using this feature. To turn this on; go to your account settings, and click “Security” in the left hand side, then there is an option to turn on “2-step verification”.
So, what does this actually do?
What it does is, even if someone compromises your Gmail password, there is an additional step. This step asks for a verification code. This code is generated by an iPhone app which dynamically generates these verification codes and they change every 30 seconds. So, what that means is even if someone gets your password, they can’t necessarily proceed to the next step in accessing your account because they need this unique code, which is constantly changing. There was a recent example of a well-known technology writer in the US, whose Apple ID was compromised and these hackers have managed to erase his mac book, iPhone, Gmail account, and basically wreck havoc on his Twitter account. It is a good idea to turn on these with all the other accounts you have such as Facebook. Hopefully Apple can come up with a solution soon in the near future as well.
