Dropbox Turns on 2-Step Verification for All Accounts: You Should Too

Posted on 29/08/2012 by Range

Losing the totality of your digital life can be a mind-boggling experience, which is one of the reasons that I immediately turned on 2-step verification when Google made it available for Google/Gmail accounts. Dropbox finally followed suit and I’m expecting others like PayPal and Amazon to follow as well.

dropbox 2 step verification

Why should you enable it? If you are using Dropbox to archive some files and your hard drive gets toasted, then it makes sense to protect them as much as possible. 2-step verification means that you add your mobile number to the site, and each time you log into your Dropbox with a new device, you’ll be sent a text message with a verification code that you’ll need to enter so that you can login.

dropbox 2 step verification enable

It’s a smart idea to enable this because it’s improbable that your accounts and your mobile phone will be compromised at the same time.

[via Dropbox]

Amazon, Apple stop taking key account changes over the phone after identity breach

Posted on 08/08/2012 by Jon Fingas

By now, you may have heard the story of the identity 'hack' perpetrated against Wired journalist Mat Honan. Using easily obtained data, an anonymous duo bluffed its way into changing his Amazon account, then his Apple iCloud account, then his Google account and ultimately the real target, Twitter. Both Amazon and Apple were docked for how easy it was to modify an account over the phone -- and, in close succession, have both put at least a momentary lockdown on the changes that led to Honan losing much of his digital presence and some irreplaceable photos. His own publication has reportedly confirmed a policy change at Amazon that prevents over-the-phone account changes. Apple hasn't been as direct about what's going on, but Wired believes there's been a 24-hour hold on phone-based Apple ID password resets while the company marshals its resources and decides how much extra strictness is required.

Neither company has said much about the issue. Amazon has been silent, while Apple claims that some of its existing procedures weren't followed properly, regardless of any rules it might need to mend. However the companies address the problem, this is one of those moments where the lesson learned is more important than the outcome. Folks: if your accounts and your personal data matter to you, use truly secure passwords and back up your content. While Honan hints that he may have put at least some of the pieces back together, not everyone gets that second chance.

Filed under: Internet

Amazon, Apple stop taking key account changes over the phone after identity breach originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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