Showerthought: Turning on two-factor auth after a fake email really helped

I got a message that looked like it was from my credit card company. It had a link to log in, but something felt off. I checked the sender address and it was a bunch of random letters. That was my wake-up call. I went and added two-factor auth to my main accounts, starting with my email. I use an app on my phone for the codes now. It's not as annoying as I thought, and I feel way more in control. Honestly, it's a relief to have that extra layer.

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher3861mo ago

That fake email sounds like a close call. Besides your email, which other accounts did you decide to protect with 2FA first? I started with my bank and then social media.

the_xena1mo ago

Look, I only turn on 2FA for my bank account since that's where actual money sits. For stuff like social media, a hack would just be annoying, not life ruining. Email is in the middle, but I usually skip the extra step there too. It feels like more hassle than it's worth for most accounts.

knight.anna1mo ago

My friend's Instagram got taken over last year and the hacker started asking all her contacts for money. I mean, it wasn't just annoying, it was a real mess that took weeks to clean up. That showed me anything tied to your identity or your friends needs a lock on it. So for me, social media was actually higher on my list than my bank, just because the damage can spread so fast. The hassle of a 2FA code is way less than trying to explain to your grandma why you're suddenly asking her for gift cards.