2FA

Backup Google Authenticator before Factory Reset

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Backup Google Authenticator before Factory Reset

Days where only contact details needed to be saved before making a factory reset of your phone are long gone. Today, the device in your pocket is a fully-fledged computer, and you should be prepared to make a backup of your device from time to time. Unfortunately, although you can easily back up all your pictures, videos, and other data either in the cloud or locally on your computer drive, that’s not the case with the Google Authenticator. I will …

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Should I buy a YubiKey Security Key?

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Should I Buy a YubiKey Security Key

The popularity of Security Keys exploded within the last few years. As a result, you can use your YubiKey with more services than ever, including, of course, the well-known giants like Google, Facebook, or Twitter, to mention a few. You should buy a YubiKey if you like to take the safety of your online accounts to the next level. Unlike authenticator applications, which are vulnerable to malware and hacker attacks, YubiKey is a hardware device with secrets stored on a …

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How to use YubiKey with NordPass?

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How to use YubiKey with NordPass.

The Nordpass Password Manager is one of many Password Managers offering Multi-Factor Authentication, including a Physical Hardware key like YubiKey. Press Account Settings in the Nordpass application installed on your computer and enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Confirm your password and press Setup under the Security Key option. Follow the Warning message on the screen and set up the Authenticator app first as a fallback if you lose your YubiKey. Once set, press the Setup Security Key option again. Type your …

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What if I lose my Yubikey?

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What if I lose my YubiKey.

I have lost my YubiKey recently, and my heart sank when I realized that I could lose access to my most important accounts. Luckily, that feeling lasted only a few seconds as I knew that I had taken the necessary steps to prevent this from happening. I follow a few rules every time I secure my accounts with YubiKey or any other form of authentication like 2FA, for example. These simple rules allow me to access my accounts in the …

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Can I use Microsoft Authenticator on Multiple Devices?

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Can I use Microsoft Authenticator on Multiple Devices

Although possible, using Microsoft Authenticator on multiple devices registered under the same Microsoft account may lead to complete data loss by unintentionally overriding your cloud backup using one of the devices. Having two or more devices with the Microsoft Authenticator app on them sounds like a convenient way to share the 2FA codes with your partner. Although the idea sounds great, we must first understand our options when planning to use the Microsoft Authenticator app on multiple devices. We must …

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Is Authy better than Google Authenticator?

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Is Authy better than Google Authenticator?

Whether you chose Authy or Google Authenticator to generate your 2FA codes is entirely up to you. The important thing is that you have secured your accounts with 2FA and not only passwords. The difference between Authy and Google Authenticator lies in the number of features offered by each app. If you like minimalism, use Google Authenticator, but if you like multi-device support, full Backup of your 2FA codes, or three authentication types, use Authy. Authy offers modern design, optional …

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Restore Microsoft Authenticator on a New Phone

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Restore Microsoft Authenticator app on a new phone.

I had to recently transfer the Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone after damaging my old device. Luckily for me, the process is straightforward, and if you have a Microsoft account and Cloud or iCloud Backup enabled, it should take you no longer than a few minutes to complete. Although the process of transferring the Microsoft Authenticator app to a new phone seems easy, you may encounter a few problems along the way. The first thing to remember is to …

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Transfer Google Authenticator 2FA codes to New Phone

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Transfer Google Authenticator app to a new phone.

Until not a long time ago, transferring your Google Authenticator 2FA codes to a new phone was a challenge. It required either visiting each account and rescanning the QR codes with your new phone or rooting your device, risking losing the warranty. The option to transfer Google Authenticator codes to a new phone was a highly anticipated update, and it is not hard to see why. It becomes common to have 20, 30, or even more accounts in the Google …

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Yubico Authenticator vs Google Authenticator

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Yubico and Google Authenticator banner

The main difference between Google Authenticator and Yubico Authenticator lies in how both applications handle the secret keys used to generate time-based OTP codes. Google Authenticator application keeps the secret keys on your phone, generating the codes every time you open the application. Yubico Authenticator, on the other hand, reads the secret keys from the Yubikey inserted into your device or via NFC and only then displays the codes in the application. Comparison of Yubico and Google Authenticator Name Yubico …

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Should I use Two-Factor Authentication?

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Featured image with text, picture of Google Authenticator app and a Yubikey key

You should definitely use Two-Factor Authentication, and there is no excuse not to. Although not perfect, the 2FA is the best option you have to add another level of security to your account. According to Google, research on “How effective is basic account hygiene at preventing hijacking?” using On-device prompt as your Two-Factor Authentication may stop 100% of automated bots and as much as 99% of bulk phishing attacks and 90% of targeted attacks. Those are awe-inspiring numbers, and on their …

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