This is far more secure than relying on SMS or email, but it's not exactly convenient-you need to grab your phone, open an app, then type out a code. Apps you want to log in to will ask you for a code that you can retrieve by opening an app on your phone, like Google Authenticator or Authy. It's also the least secure because email and SMS are both unencrypted and easily compromised.Īuthentication apps. This is the easiest method to set up because you don't need to install any software or purchase any hardware.

Apps send you a code, which you need to enter before you can log in. You're probably familiar with two ways of doing 2FA: With two-factor authentication, you need two things to sign in: your password, yes, but also something else that proves you are who you say you are. That's the entire idea behind two-factor authentication (often shortened to 2FA). For these reasons, and more, it's a good idea not to rely entirely on passwords. Even secure passwords are useless once they've been leaked, and leaks are basically inevitable. Most are too easy for hackers to guess, and the rest are too long or complicated for humans to remember. I'm glad I did-here's why, and how you can set one up too. We could get into the math, and break down the various protocols supported by devices like this, but most users don't need to know any more than 'enter your username and password, as usual, then press the button on the YubiKey to log in.'Ī YubiKey is required to access many of Zapier's internal tools, so I've finally gotten around to learning how to use one. Each device has a unique code built on to it, which is used to generate codes that help confirm your identity. Instead of a code being texted to you, or generated by an app on your phone, you press a button on your YubiKey. The YubiKey is a device that makes two-factor authentication as simple as possible. It doesn't matter how computer-literate you are, or how much you value security-something about the YubiKey just feels confusing.

When I got my first YubiKey, I plugged it into my laptop, tried setting it up with a few accounts, then gave up.

Google account yubikey