Weak passwords that are easy to crack leave our email accounts vulnerable to sophisticated cyber attacks. But there are methods and forms of protection that can be activated so that your data is not stolen or compromised.
During the last decade, one of the extra protection methods that many online services have implemented is two-step authentication, which requires an additional password to access a digital account, including including Gmail email.
If you still don’t use this feature, In this course you will learn how to configure two-factor authentication, the correct way to activate it in your account Gmail, some protection methods for your email and three 2FA tools that will improve your security.
What is 2-factor authentication and what are the benefits of using it?
Simply put, 2-factor authentication is the verification that the system does after we enter the password correctly. This allows proof of the identity of the account owner and ensures secure access.
This authentication or verification level up security And, although it does not mean absolute protection, it limits the possibilities of personal information being known by cybercriminals. So far, there are at least three ways to activate the check: the first is through text messages, the second with applications that generate a temporary code and finally with a security key.
As we said, one of the main reasons to use two-step authentication is security and now we share other reasons to activate it in your Gmail account:
- Strengthen account privacy: Even if a third party has your primary key, they will not have the second PIN to complete the login.
- All information is protected: Even when you lose your phone, no one can steal your data.
- Allows you to use the account anywhere: without the worry that someone might clone your key.
- Provides a high level of protection for your account, if the main password is not that strong.
Learn step by step how to activate 2-step verification in your Google Gmail account to make it more secure
Reading the reasons you have for enable 2-factor verification, surely you already want to configure it in your Gmail account.
Follow the steps in our guide carefully and in just a few minutes you will have your email protected from computer attacks:
With your mobile
One of the effective and easy-to-use methods for any user is receive a text message or a call to your mobile phone to verify your identity and be able to log into Gmail.
The steps to activate this function are as follows:
- Open your Gmail account.
- At the top right you will see a wheel that indicates the “Setting”, click there and then “See all settings.”
- A window is displayed, in which you must open the box “Accounts and import”.
- You navigate to “Change account settings” and brands in “Other Google account settings.”
- A new tab opens and in the left side menu click on the option “Security”.
- Go down until you get the section “Two-step verification”.
- When opening the window click the button “Start”.
- It tells you that you owe again log in to your Gmail account by entering the credentials.
- After you log in, the function appears “Set up your phone”, in which you must write a mobile number and select if you want to receive “Text message” or “Phone call”.
- You will receive a code that you must enter and click on “Next”.
- If the verification code is correct, it indicates that it has worked and you have to click on the box “Activate”.
- With this everything will be ready and The phone number will appear as verified.
- So every time you go to log into a device, will ask for 2-factor authentication.
With an authenticator
In this case we are going to use the application Authenticator that is included in Gmail So what works for devices with Android and iOS operating systems. Here instead of using the activation code via text message, they will be received directly through the tool.
To do this, follow these steps:
- In the same area “Two-step verification”, click on “Start”.
- Log in using your credentials as requested.
- When logging in, open “Set up your phone”. Add a phone number and choose between “Text message” or “Phone call”.
- By selecting, you receive a code. Enter it in the new tab and click “Next”.
- Once you write the code you have received, click on the box “Activate” and the phone number will appear as verified.
- Now, a series of options appear. Browse until you find “Authenticator App” and click on “Set up”.
- In the new window it asks you what operating system you have, choose between Android or ios and you give it in “Next”.
- It tells you that you must download the application “Authenticator” in Play Store.
- After you download it, choose the function “Set up account”.
- And then you scan the qr code that appears on the screen.
- You will receive a six-digit code that you must enter and then you give it in “Check” and so you will have it configured.
We show you other actions that will make your Gmail account much more secure to protect the information in your email
Massive identity theft, in most cases, occurs due to carelessness of users in the configuration of their accounts, in which they rarely worry about checking the levels of their keys or knowing who has access to their information. This time we want to offer you practical advice so that you can protect your email account as much as possible Gmail.
Go for it:
Change your password periodically
Apart from activating two-step authentication as we have mentioned, It is important that you change your email password frequently. If you notice that there is a suspicious attempt to log in that you did not make, now is an opportune time to improve your security.
You should get a password that is difficult for others to figure out but that you can easily remember. A minimum of eight characters, combination of uppercase and lowercase plus numbers or special symbols they are part of the recommendations. We recommend using our Password Generator to really get a strong password.
Avoid opening unknown emails
Sometimes e-mails from people we do not have in our contacts reach our inbox and whose names are unknown. It is better to delete them at once, as their content may include malware or links to websites that may compromise privacy. It can also happen that the email is from a relative, but that it raises suspicions for the content. It is better to contact the contact and find out if it was he who wrote or his account was impersonated by someone else.
Enable Android authentication
Enable this option that goes hand in hand with two-step authentication allows us to greatly improve the security of the Gmail account. It is very easy to install and configure. In this case, what is required is to have the operating system updated and add the application as any other is installed to our mobile. One of the advantages is that many users currently carry their smartphone everywhere, facilitating the management to verify identity.
List of the best 2FA tools you can use to make your Gmail login much more secure
Now that we know how important it is to use the 2FA system and the advantages it has to protect the security of our account Gmail, we are going to show other tools that are available, apart from those already mentioned.
Let’s see:
Authy
If you are looking for another option to the one that offers Gmail By default, this may be an application to consider. Authy is available for free and is compatible with different operating systems, working on both mobile phones and computers. It is downloaded from any of the application stores.
One of its outstanding features is its compatibility with most two-factor authentication tools, apart from giving the option to make backup copies, identify ourselves with the fingerprint or with text messages.
andOTP
This is an open source tool that has earned a huge following for its ability to protect security. From the outset it offers the possibility of encrypting the files you have available, placing them at different levels according to the needs.
This application is oriented to mobiles, alerts you the moment it feels that the phone is compromised by launching panic alerts, in which you have the possibility to restore the configuration if you wish. Finally, we tell you that it allows you to block passwords, adding a PIN code so that a stranger does not violate your privacy.
LastPass Authenticator
This utility comes from the hand of one of the main password managers such as LastPass. Sends six-digit codes in addition to using voice authentication to securely access accounts and without fear of being stolen. It is available for Android and iOS but also for Windows, which makes it a multiplatform tool. Another interesting feature is that you can manage different services directly from its interface.
We conclude that one of the best ways to stay protected is by activating all possible security options. And in the case at hand, two-factor authentication allows you to reduce the dangers when your password is discovered or the email data has been compromised due to some carelessness.