Long and complex passwords are an excellent first step for protecting your online accounts from hackers. However, if a criminal is able to crack the code, they still can access your information. That’s where multi-factor authentication comes into play. It creates a unique key that needs to be inserted by the user to unlock the website. While many sites already provide this type of code via SMS, it’s not advisable to use this method because hackers can sometimes hijack SMS messages. Instead, it’s better to go for an authentication app such as Google Authenticator or Authy. Both support iOS and Android, and both get the job done, though in slightly different ways.
Google Authenticator is the most popular two-factor authentication app on the market. It’s completely free, available for iOS and Android, and users can add an unlimited number of accounts, so long as they support 2FA. It uses event-based one-time passwords (HOTP) that aren’t time-limited and time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) for authentication. Both types are generated in the app rather than sent via SMS. Moreover, these 2FA codes aren’t stored in the cloud, meaning that only someone with access to the phone can use them. This makes it quite difficult for hackers to steal the codes, as they have to be in possession of your device.
The app is very user-friendly, making it perfect for even the less tech-savvy people out there. There are already many websites that support Google Authenticator, and the user just needs to enable this 2FA method on the desired service, take a snapshot of the QR code, and they’re done.
Google Authenticator presents some downsides, though. First, it’s only possible to sync the app with other devices manually, as the data is stored on a single device. Basically, getting a new mobile phone means having to go through the tedious process of adding all the accounts again. Secondly, it’s not possible to protect the app by adding a PIN or something similar like biometric authentication, which means that anyone with access to the smartphone can open the application and see all the information.
While there are a few websites (such as Twitch) that work specifically with Authy tokens, the app actually works with any website that supports Google Authenticator. Like its competitor, Authy also adds accounts by taking pictures of the QR codes provided by the sites. But unlike the Google app, Authy offers multi-device support and backs up an encrypted version of the 2FA codes on the cloud. Furthermore, the app is available not only for iOS and Android, but for Windows and macOS as well. This means that regardless of how you’re trying to access your account, Authy will be a click away, giving you the 2FA code required to log in.
Considering that Authy requires a phone number and sends a text message with an activation code, it doesn’t offer the most secure setup process. Moreover, since Authy tokens are saved in the SIM card, it’s safer to always use the Google Authenticator token instead. Nonetheless, it does provide the option to protect the app with a PIN and biometric authentication, giving its users an extra layer of security.
Google Authenticator and Authy are both reliable authenticator apps. People looking for a simple and easy-to-use app should get Google Authenticator. The same goes for users who want a higher security level in the two-factor authentication process. However, bear in mind that anyone who can crack the phone can access the app and all information. On the other hand, Authy secures the authentication codes better by providing the option to PIN-protect the app. Furthermore, Authy is the perfect solution for users who change phones frequently or want to have the software synced on multiple devices. Since all information is encrypted, you can rest assured that nobody will be able to get their hands on your codes as they travel between the device and the cloud. People already using a password manager can also change to a provider that offers this feature, such as Enpass or 1Password.
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