[Note: This article provides instructions on how to enable multi-factor authentication for an individual, personal Google account. If you are using a Google account as part of your company's IT environment, your Google Workplace administrator should require multi-factor authentication across your entire organization. Learn how to do that here. Regardless, you should have multi-factor authentication enabled on every account you use where possible.]
In today's modern business IT environment, where Bring Your Own Devices (BTOD) is increasingly the norm, having secure account authentication is more important than ever. Most likely you have multiple Internet accounts set up on your laptop or mobile device - some for personal use and some for business. If all of your accounts are not secured, bad actors will find a way to compromise your device, which can lead to a cyber incident at your company.
Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, is a security process in which users provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves. Two-factor authentication is a subset of multi-factor authentication (MFA), which may require more than two authentication factors.
2FA is implemented to better protect both a user's credentials and the resources the user can access. Two-factor authentication provides a higher level of security than authentication methods that depend on single-factor authentication, in which the user provides only one factor - typically just a password. Two-factor authentication methods rely on a user providing a password as the first factor and a second, different factor -- usually either a code from a smartphone app, a text message sent to the user's phone, or a biometric factor, such as a fingerprint or facial scan.
Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to the authentication process by making it harder for attackers to gain access to a person's devices or online accounts because, even if the victim's password is somehow stolen, just the password alone is not enough to gain access to privileged information.
Tune on Two-Factor Verification for Your Google Account
Sign in to your Google Account at https://accounts.google.com/servicelogin
Once you have logged in, in the top navigation panel, select Security.
Under “Signing in to Google,” select 2-Step Verification
Press the Getting Started button
You will be required to enter your password an additional time.
Follow the on-screen steps. First, enter the phone number of the device that you will be using as your second authentication factor. Then click NEXT.
Google will send you a six-digit verification code. Enter the code and click NEXT.
After successfully entering the confirmation code, you will see the "It worked!" screen below. The final step is to now turn 2-Step Verification by clicking TURN ON.
You have now successfully turned on two-factor authentication for your Google account!
If your account, [email protected], is associated with your work or school. If you can’t set up 2-Step Verification, contact your administrator.