Why is SMS 2FA not secure?

But the default 2FA option is usually SMS—one-time codes texted to our phones, and SMS has infamously poor security, leaving it open to attack. Phone/phone number compromises include malware that is unwittingly installed by users and will then look for one-time SMS passcodes and send those back to the attacker.

Is Google Authenticator safer?

Certainly, time based one time password apps like Google Authenticator are far more secure. With apps like these, your phone app will generate a one-time code. You’ll then use that code to complete the login.

Is Google Authenticator safer than SMS?

Authenticator App (More Secure) Using an authenticator app to generate your Two-Factor login codes is more secure than text message. The primary reason being, it’s more difficult for a hacker to gain physical access to your phone and generate a code without you knowing about it.

Is an authenticator app better than SMS?

Can Google Authenticator be hacked?

Typically this would mean an SMS-based OTP (one time password) or a code generated by hardware token or a mobile authenticator app. Unfortunately, SMS OTPs have been proven to be insecure, being vulnerable to interception and phishing attacks.

Why is authenticator safer than SMS?

Why is Google Authenticator bad?

Another drawback of Google Authenticator that a reader pointed out is no passcode or biometric lock on the app. And this ease of access to the app seems to allow malware to steal 2FA codes directly from Google Authenticator, giving you yet another good reason to dump the app.

Is SMS authentication secure?

Sending a code in a text FROM a phone is vastly more secure than sending one TO a phone. SMS authentication messages sent from phones are less vulnerable to hacking for a variety of reasons – but mostly for one big one that carriers implemented long ago.

What is the benefit of Google Authenticator?

Google Authenticator is a mobile security application based on two-factor authentication (2FA) that helps to verify user identities before granting them access to websites and services. Two-factor authentication makes it less likely that an intruder can masquerade as an authorized user.