Google touts the positive effects of its policy around double authentication, which is increasingly required.
Should we sometimes force the hand of Internet users to force them to have better computer hygiene? For Google, the answer is yes. The American company made on February 8 – days of Internet Safer Day – an initial assessment of its policy of forcing individuals to activate two-factor authentication to secure their account.
And the conclusions of the American company are very positive: ” Thanks to this effort, we have seen a 50% reduction in compromised accounts “Said the American company, through Guemmy Kim, in charge of security at Google. Given the number of users visiting Google, this statistic is in the millions.
Tens of millions of Google accounts
It was in 2021 that Google began to require strong authentication (the method’s other name), a decision which then impacted 150 million Internet users around the world, as well as 2 million Internet users who publish content on YouTube — and who, therefore, may be a prime target for malicious third parties.
This two-step verification greatly improves account security, as it adds additional protection. If ever the password is discovered, you still have to enter a temporary code, or validate the connection request on your smartphone. In fact, as it is difficult to access the mobile remotely, and in time, the accounts are thus much better protected.
“Through this effort, we have seen a 50% decrease in compromised accounts”
So that this step is the least painful for the Internet user, Google has opted not for a code to be typed, coming either from an SMS message or from an application, but for the connection prompts. This approach makes it possible to enlist in the process people who are not very comfortable with the computer tool, by considerably simplifying the process.
Thus, rather than having a temporary code to register, Google displays connection requests to be validated in one click. On connection, just after the password, a page is displayed, allowing the Internet user to determine if he is indeed the originator of the request. To find out, indications are given: time of the connection request, approximate location and type of device.