Authenticator App - Anyone Use One

Jules

Jules

SF VIP
After the 23 & Me hack they are stressing we need to use an Authenticator app.

Any comments on these? I see Apple has one too. Seems like there’ll be a fee.

“ What is an Authenticator Application?
An authenticator application adds a 2-Step Verification process using a time-sensitive verification code. If you want to enable 2-Step Verification in your account, you’ll first need to download an authenticator app on your mobile device before being able to connect it to your 23andMe account in your account settings.

Google Authenticator™ mobile app is a popular authenticator option, but you can use any application that supports the Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) protocol.”
 

i have one on my phone do not use it much was mostly for a job i had and a financial company i used to have an account for.
It is a pain as it is often slow and by the time you input code you have seconds before needing a new code.
 
Several sites online have the 2 factor verification which is great until it malfunctions. I have been locked out of two sites because of those and no way to retrieve my acct. because they used phone numbers and wouldn't send the text I needed to complete the sign in process. After several attempts it just locked up. I won't use them.
 
Jules said:
After the 23 & Me hack they are stressing we need to use an Authenticator app.

Any comments on these? I see Apple has one too. Seems like there’ll be a fee.

“ What is an Authenticator Application?
An authenticator application adds a 2-Step Verification process using a time-sensitive verification code. If you want to enable 2-Step Verification in your account, you’ll first need to download an authenticator app on your mobile device before being able to connect it to your 23andMe account in your account settings.

Google Authenticator™ mobile app is a popular authenticator option, but you can use any application that supports the Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) protocol.”
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I work IT and use them. Be sure to choose a trusted app. Google Authenticator is a good choice. Multi-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to your account, and you should use it on every site that offers it. How to Create a Safe Password
 
I have the authenticator app on my devices. I never needed it until my son changed us over to the Microsoft email, and I really HATE that app !
I have been doing Bing Rewards for years, and was ready to cash out my points for my Amazon gift card, and the stupid authenticator app will not recognise me now; and I can’t cash out without it.

Unless a person has a really important reason for getting this app, I do not recommend it at al, based on my experience. The last time I updated my Apple devices, it wanted me to also sign in again with the Microsoft email, and then it didn’t like my password, and the authenticator app would only work on my phone and not on the iPads . I eventually got them all signed in again by using the app on the phone for each one of the other devices when it sent me the authenticator codes.
 
NewlySenior said:
Just a (probably) rhetorical question; what happens when the authenticator apps get hacked? 🤨
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Exactly. Keypass password manager was supposed to be the"cat's meow" for securely managing passwords...until they got hacked.
An individual's security is one facet, but if a banking or retail website stores user's data in plain text, rather than encrypted, and fails to provide state of the art security, user data gets hijacked then the user is the victim, due to circumstances beyond their control.
 
You never want to use an online password manager, instead use a local program that stores your information securely on your own device, not on the cloud and then perform regular backups on your devices. Everything you store on the cloud is vulnerable to malicious activity.
 
Nathan said:
Exactly. Keypass password manager was supposed to be the"cat's meow" for securely managing passwords...until they got hacked.
An individual's security is one facet, but if a banking or retail website stores user's data in plain text, rather than encrypted, and fails to provide state of the art security, user data gets hijacked then the user is the victim, due to circumstances beyond their control.
Click to expand...

Lastpass was also hacked a few months ago. We need better regulations governing internet security but no one who can seem to be working towards it.
 
I'm somewhat confused about password managers. I use Firefox 99% of the time and like most browsers it stores my passwords and automatically enters them when I go to a site that has them saved. I use dual authentication for sensitive sites like our bank. I downloaded and set up a free version of Bitwarden only to find out that it does not automatically enter passwords. It seems to be just a "storage locker", a safe place to store the passwords. Is this correct or did I miss something with regard to password managers?
 
Also in regards to passwords I'm starting to hear a lot about "Passkeys" now. I read an article about them but it didn't clearly explain how to use them. If I understood correctly, passkey enabled sites will offer a QR code that needs to be scanned with a phone to gain access to a site. Is this correct or did I miss a critical step in the seemingly new passkey technology?
 
Rich said:
I'm somewhat confused about password managers. I use Firefox 99% of the time and like most browsers it stores my passwords and automatically enters them when I go to a site that has them saved. I use dual authentication for sensitive sites like our bank. I downloaded and set up a free version of Bitwarden only to find out that it does not automatically enter passwords. It seems to be just a "storage locker", a safe place to store the passwords. Is this correct or did I miss something with regard to password managers?
Click to expand...
I've used Bitwarden for years, the free version. It does auto-insert if you have 'auto-fill' enabled in the browser extension. Some sites have a complicated login page and auto-fill gets confused. If you click the Bitwarden extension icon though, credentials for that site are easy to copy/paste. All my passwords look like 'cD#D3X8BDK@vEi&xGn6', which no AI is going to guess.
 
My bank uses one. A few government services use one too. I can appreciate that it tightens security, but honestly I often find it annoying as it's an extra step all the time. I had a key fob for the bank, and you'd get a code on that, but they've changed to an all-software version now.
 
Rich said:
I downloaded and set up a free version of Bitwarden only to find out that it does not automatically enter passwords.
Click to expand...
Check the settings, there's a section for autofill. I've noticed that it autofills inconsistently, but when that happens, it's easy to right click and autofill
 

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