Google Rolls Out 2-Step Verification Process For Google Accounts

Google has just launched the 2-Step verification process for all Google accounts. Google is quite concerned about the security of your Google account and so has launched the 2-step verification process. The process is quite simple and would only take around 10-15 minutes to complete, but this will surely give you the assurance that you won't loose access to your Google account. It is highly recommended that you turn on 2-step verification for your Google account right away to enhance the security of your Google account.

2-Step Verification requires you to authenticate your account with 2 factors:

1-Your Password
2-A verification code that Google sends to your phone via SMS or voice call or using the Google Authenticator app available for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry.

You need both, your password and the verification code to log in on a new device/browser.

Which services are associated with your Google account ?

I have listed some here:

• Adsense
• Adwords
• Alerts
• Blogger
• Docs
• Feedburner
• Gmail
• Google Friend Connect
• Google URL Shortener
• Groups
• iGoogle
• Mobile
• orkut
• Picasa Web Albums
• Sites
• Talk
• Web History
• Webmaster Tools
• Youtube.

Huh ! the list is quite big ! Isn't it ? and what if you loose access to these ? Google is quite concerned about the security of your Google account and so has launched the 2-step verification process.

The process is quite simple and would only take around 10-15 minutes to complete, but this will surely give you the assurance that you won't loose access to your Google account. It is highly recommended that you turn on 2-step verification for your Google account right away to enhance the security of your Google account.

To start off with the process Click Here, and log in into your account.

Now click on Using 2-step verification

A confirmation page will now appear asking you to Set up 2-step verification click on it and proceed,

After you click on set up 2-step verification, a new page will open asking you about your phone information. You will receive the code on this phone. Click the one you prefer for verification, here I have selected other phone for the verification process.

After this, you will have to configure your phone to receive text messages for verification.

Now you will be show a list of codes if you ever loose access/misplace your phone, each code will allow you to sign-in one time. Print or save them in a safe place.

Here comes the final step, click on the button to activate the 2-step verification process.

Now you will need to sign-in with your primary password and Google will immediately send a verification code to your phone, just enter the received code and you will log in to your account. NOTE: you have to verify every new device/browser you use with the account, and can remember it for a maximum of 30 days.

You will now need to create application specific passwords for authorization and access to your Google account for e.g.: Google Talk, you need to enter the generated password when you want to sign-in to Google talk instead of your primary password, you don't need to remember these passwords, and off-course you can revoke them anytime you want.

That's it ! Your Google account is safe now :) This will keep hackers away even if they now your password.

You can read more about the 2-step verification process HERE

Labels : Google, Security   | Posted by Sahil Patel   | 04:14