Do You Like Multi-Factor Authentication?

Do you use multi-factor authentication? Google says that less than 10 percent of its users use MFA. They were concerned that if they made people use MFA they would leave. Not sure what they would leave to? Who else offers as compelling a suite of software. For free. Or at least just for stealing all of your information.

Google announced this week that by the end of this year they are going to automatically enroll 150 million Google users and 2 million YouTube creators in two factor authentication.

Google is not telling you which method of MFA you are going to use. You can use an app on your phone. Or you can get it emailed to you. Or a hardware token. Or even via text message.

If you sign up for a new account, you will automatically be enrolled in two factor authentication.

Given that Google has, probably, a billion users, they are being selective in terms of which 150 million users are being auto-enrolled.

On the other hand, if you want to post stuff on YouTube, MFA is not optional.

So, if you have been hesitant to use MFA, you might want to try it now. Before it gets turned on for you.

What is not clear is whether you can turn it off once it has been turned on. My guess is that you can, just like you can now, but it sounds like Google is going to be persistent.

Credit: Bleeping Computer

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