Skip to main content

Protect your Google Accounts with a USB Security Key



Most big-name web services like Gmail, Microsoft, Evernote, WordPress and Dropbox now support 2-step authentication to improve the security of your online accounts. Once you enable two-factor authentication, a malicious person will not be able to log into your online account even if they know the password – they’ll need access to your mobile phone as well to get in.
The verification codes required for logging into a 2-step enabled account can be generated either using a mobile app – like Authy or Google Authenticator – or you can have them sent to your mobile phone via a text message or a voice call. The latter option however will not work if the mobile phone associated with your account is outside the coverage area (like when you are in a foreign country).
There’s another option that makes the process of logging into a 2-factor enabled account Google less cumbersome. Instead of generating the verification codes on a mobile phone,  you can use a hardware based authenticator that can be inserted into a USB port on your computer and you’ll be signed-in automatically without having to hand-type the digits.
The option works for both Google and Google Apps accounts and you don’t even need the mobile phone

Google 2-factor Authentication Simplified

I am using the least-expensive Yubico key though there are more options to choose from. The first stop is to associate the USB security key with your Google Account. Go to myaccount.google.com, click on 2-step verification and then switch to the Security Keys tab. Here click the Register Device button and then insert the USB key into the computer to attach it to your account.
Once registered, you can use your USB security key to log into your Google Account from any other desktop or laptop computer without requiring the mobile phone. Simply open the Google login page, type in your username & password, click the Sign-in button and then insert the USB key. The lights will blink on the device, you need to tap it once and it will instantly log you into the account. Internally, the key generates the codes that are sent to Google servers and you are logged in.
The USB security keys require no software and they are compatible with Windows, Mac, Chrome OS and Linux computers. They need no batteries, they are tiny like a regular USB thumb drive but also rigid. You can also associate multiple Google Accounts with the same USB key which can be a huge timesaver for some users.
USB Security Keys make 2-factor authentication painless but you can only use them inside Google Chrome on desktop and laptop computers. You’ll still have to rely on SMS messages, or the authenticator app, for logging into Google on your mobile phones or in browsers like Firefox and Opera

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can I determine if my computer has a key logger installed? – YES!!!

Detecting keyloggers is as simple as looking in the right place (which may or may not be simple depending on your viewpoint). The problem is knowing what to look for and where. What follows is a non-exhaustive few things you could do to check for keylogging modules. Firstly, the obvious easy way to build a keylogger is to use DLL Injection which can be achieved a number of ways. Most of these will result in a DLL showing up as mapped to the process’s address space. Take a look at this picture: What is the topmost entry in that list? It’s a pyd , or python extension, file. I’ve been messing with python-implemented COM servers and as a result, the DLL is loaded into Windows Explorer’s address space. DLL Injection of the keylogging variety will load its DLL into all of the target address spaces – can’t capture everything if you don’t. So one thing to look out for would be strange DLLs you cannot attribute to products whose purpose you know. They’ll show up in this list for...
Post a Comment
Read more

Live inside technology

Microsoft doesn’t just want you to use the latest Windows; it wants you to live inside of it. The company has revealed the HoloLens, a wearable holographic computer launching alongside Windows 10 that lets you project Windows apps onto the surfaces of your home or office. Holographic Fetus & Other Incredible 3D Tech 3D scanners are enabling us to see all kinds of things we’ve never dreamed of witnessing before. Microsoft outlined some of the uses of HoloLens in a demo video, which showcases how Windows apps can come to life once you put the headset on. Some examples include the ability to see Windows app icons on your kitchen cabinet, project a Skype call onto your wall and even physically manipulate a Minecraft world that’s laid out on your coffee table. The HoloLens itself is a black headset with a circular plastic headband and sunglass-like, see-through lenses in the front. The device uses a “high-end” processor and GPU, with an additional holographic processing uni...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Use the NETSH Command to Change from Static IP Address to DHCP

You can use the netsh command in Windows 2000 to script the process of changing a computer from a static Internet Protocol (IP) address to Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or vice versa. The netsh command accomplishes this task without the need to restart the computer. This feature is particularly useful for laptops that move from one environment to another, when it is necessary to use statically assigned IP addresses at one location and DHCP assigned IP addresses at another. To switch the specified adapter from a static address to DHCP, type the following command: netsh interface ip set address “Local Area Connection” dhcp NOTE: Typing this command changes the interface named “Local Area Connection” to DHCP. To display all of the adapters in the computer with their current IP addresses to determine the correct adapter name, type the following command: Netsh interface ip show config To change to a static address, type the following command: netsh interface ip set ...
Post a Comment
Read more