two-factor_authentication
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two-factor_authentication [2019/08/21 06:32] – neil | two-factor_authentication [2022/09/08 09:09] (current) – neil | ||
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====Key points ==== | ====Key points ==== | ||
* [[two-factor_authentication#" | * [[two-factor_authentication#" | ||
+ | * [[two-factor_authentication# | ||
+ | * [[two-factor_authentication# | ||
+ | * [[two-factor_authentication# | ||
====" | ====" | ||
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This page focusses on " | This page focusses on " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====Enable two-factor authentication wherever you can ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Because of the security benefits of having two-factor authentication in place, you should enable it wherever you can. This normally means "on every site and service which supports it". | ||
+ | |||
+ | Check first that you can use whatever two-factor approach you are using on whatever devices you tend to use. If you primarily use your phone, and the service requires a hardware device which is incompatible with your phone, you'll be causing yourself a lot of inconvenience, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some password managers will suggest logins for which two-factor authentication is available. There' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====Have a back-up mechanism in case you lose your device(s)==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | A risk of enabling two-factor authentication is that, if you lose control of the second factor, you will be unable to access the service in question. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Backup one-time codes === | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you are using one-time codes, you are usually prompted to download and save some backup codes, which you can use if you lose your one-time code generator. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you use a password manager, and if you back this up, you might store your backup codes in that. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Alternatively, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Backup hardware devices === | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you are using a hardware device, good practice is to buy two identical devices, and configure them to mirror each other. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Keep one with you, to use for logging in, and keep the second in a safe. | ||
====Something you have: one-time codes ==== | ====Something you have: one-time codes ==== | ||
- | Some sites will let you configure your account to require you to put in a one-time | + | Some sites will let you configure your account to require you to put in a one-time |
+ | Â | ||
+ | These one-time codes are usually generated by a piece of software on your computer or phone, or else through a dedicated hardware device. | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | ===Time-based One-Time Passwords (TOTP) are common and easy to use===Â | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | Lots of sites support one-time codes, which changes after a few seconds. This is known as " | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | Once set up, you need to log in using your username and password, and then put in the current code before it expires. This means that you always need to have the mechanism to generate the code to hand, when you want to log in. | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | These work by generating a special code, which you store on a device, and which the service stores. So, to use TOTP, you need a means of storing this special code. (You may not even see the special code; you may just need to scan a QR code, which automates the storage, so that you see only the effect of it, which is the generation of six-digit one-time passwords, which change routinely). | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | You might be able to use [[passwords# | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | Alternatively, | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | You might also use a hardware device. | ||
+ | Â | ||
+ | ===Avoid text message for delivery of codes === | ||
- | Backup | + | Some services offer the real-time delivery of one-time |
- | Two hardware devices, so you can store a backup safely in safe. | + | First, text messages are not secure, and a sufficiently motivated attacker is likely to be able to access your messages. |
- | Enable two-factor authentication wherever you can, but make sure you have a back-up mechanism | + | Second, if someone manages to hijack your phone number (sometimes known as "SIM swapping" |
+ | You can mitigate some of the risk by: | ||
- | Option | + | * changing the settings |
- | Downside of 2FA is that, if you lose your device, | + | * setting a SIM PIN, different to your device |
- | If the second code is delivered over SMS, you can probably get a new SIM, get your provider to move your number across to the new SIM, and you are up and running. | + | Third, if you are out of signal, you cannot |
- | If you use an app — which means you are not reliant on getting an SMS — you may struggle more. I don’t have a great solution for this at the moment. | ||
====Hardware security tokens ==== | ====Hardware security tokens ==== | ||
{{:: | {{:: | ||
Yubikeys | Yubikeys |
two-factor_authentication.1566369166.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/07/06 09:26 (external edit)