Do you use 2FA to protect your accounts (when available)?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Do you use the extra layer of security by using 2FA (2 Factor Authorization) on your accounts? Some of them? All of them that use it? None because it's a pain in the ass?

I've been securing more of my accounts with 2FA just because of all the identity theft BS that goes on. Started using it more since the latest T-Mobile breach of personal information even though T-Mobile assures me that no sensitive info was compromised. It's definitely a pain in the ass because if you left your phone in another room or something when trying to sign on to something using a PC then you need to go fetch it before you can go any farther. But for banking and credit type accounts, I think it's worth it.

I prefer to use the authenticator app (my password manager that I use, LastPass, has an authenticator app and that's the one I use) way of doing it, but the text message is okay too. The worst one is having to have it send by email if they don't use either of the other two methods because those always seem to lag.

[DemonGeminiX]

I use it all the time. It doesn't bother me at all. Everybody I deal with sends me the text message, so I don't have to do the email thing.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

You don't use an authenticator app at all? I just feel that's the most secure way of doing it, with text codes second.

[DemonGeminiX]

I know nothing about authenticator apps or password managers. I've never used them. The passwords on my sensitive accounts are so ridiculously long and random, and I change them all on a regular basis, so there'd have to be a serious screw up on the company's end or a hacker would have to get extremely lucky to hack my shit.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Where do you keep your passwords then?

[DemonGeminiX]

Where do you keep your passwords then?

In my head.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

In my head.

The passwords on my sensitive accounts are so ridiculously long and random...

I doubt you can memorize them all if they are truly long and completely random.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I know nothing about authenticator apps...

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-authenticator-apps

Here's a brief article about authenticator apps and why they're more secure than using SMS for 2FA.

[DemonGeminiX]

I doubt you can memorize them all if they are truly long and completely random.

It's kinda complicated to explain. And I'd rather not explain the process. It's just something I've been doing since the late 90s and it works for me. But yeah, they're long and I'll say apparently random. But they're not random at all to me. And they're fairly easy for me to memorize.

[Pony]

Most of my accounts went to 2FA without giving me a choice. Sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass, especially for silly things like streaming app logins. And it asks every time on my bank logins, regardless if I use the same computer or not. I don't think my phone does it though when I pay bills on it.

[Pony]

And I'm old school, I've got all my passwords written down on a piece of paper and don't save passwords in the computer for sensitive sites like banks.

[lost in melb.]

And I'm old school, I've got all my passwords written down on a piece of paper and don't save passwords in the computer for sensitive sites like banks.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Most of my accounts went to 2FA without giving me a choice. Sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass, especially for silly things like streaming app logins. And it asks every time on my bank logins, regardless if I use the same computer or not. I don't think my phone does it though when I pay bills on it.

It definitely can be a pain in the ass sometimes. And there seem to be some sites that even if you check "remember this device" you will STILL get the 2FA prompt when you try to sign in. That part is maddening. And I agree, some sites that have 2FA are silly and it seems pointless to have THAT MUCH security, but I guess it's better than someone stealing your account. And yet I have some banking/credit apps or sites that don't have or offer 2FA but my Yahoo account has 2FA.

And I'm old school, I've got all my passwords written down on a piece of paper and don't save passwords in the computer for sensitive sites like banks.

Why don't you use a password manager?

[DemonGeminiX]

Because programs can be hacked.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

As long as you use one extremely difficult master password, the encryption used by password manager software is pretty much unbreakable. Plus, my password manager requires 2FA.