Does two-factor authentication protect me from hackers?

What is two-factor authentication and why should I care about it? Does it really help protect me from hackers? Matt Cutts, Bay Area, California

Learn how to get 2-step verification on your Google Account here:
http://support.google.com/accounts/bi...

Video overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMabEy...

Have a question? Ask it in our Webmaster Help Forum: http://groups.google.com/a/googleprod...

Want your question to be answered on a video like this? Follow us on Twitter and look for an announcement when we take new questions: http://twitter.com/googlewmc

More videos: http://www.youtube.com/GoogleWebmaste...
Webmaster Central Blog: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspo...
Webmaster Central: http://www.google.com/webmasters

• Category

  Science & Technology

[hombrequeso]

LOVE that you asked your OWN question!

[blacksnoopy]

Българияяя

[Michael Breeze]

That's OK! :-D

[Jusnzl]

Might be an idea to follow the example of Lastpass and make login only from your country an option as well.



[Hiren Patel]

Great message thanks Matt.

[Hiren Patel]

Great message thanks Matt.

[Ram Gueta]

2:45 is the best THATS OK!

[CindyLouWho2Too]

No, no way to get rid of it permanently. I click "no", it asks again if I mean no, so I click again, then it disappears - but it comes back again eventually. On all of my Google accounts. Very frustrating.

[000lina000]

Oh, sorry I misunderstood. I believe you do need a cell phone for two-step authentication, just not specifically a smartphone. Can't you just turn it off and continue using your account normally?

[CindyLouWho2Too]

You may have a different message. Mine keeps asking for a cell phone number, & only gives space to add a cell phone number - no other options available. It does not tell me I can secure my account in any other way. Continuing to demand a mobile # & not giving me other ways to do this is sleazy, IMO, & also makes it really annoying to log into Google. Hence, I don't log in much.

[Lina Hart]

You don't need a smartphone for two-step authentication; the way it's set up for me is every time I try to sign in on a new computer or every 30 days at home, it sends me a text with the pin I need to type in. The app isn't necessary.