You&ll soon have more options for staying secure on Facebook with two-factor authentication.Facebook is simplifying the process for two-factor verification on its platform so you won&t have to give the company your phone number just to bring additional security to your device.
The company announced today that it is adding support for third-party authentication apps like Duo Security and Google Authenticator while streamlining the setup process to make it easier to get moving with it in the first place.Two-factor authentication is a pretty widely supported security strategy that adds another line of defense for users so they aren&t screwed if their login credentials are compromised.
SMS isn&t generally considered the most secure method for 2FA because it possible for hackers to take control of your SIM and transfer it to a new phone through a process that relies heavily on social engineering, something that isn&t as much of a risk when using hardware-based authentication devices or third-party apps.Back in March, Facebook CSO Alex Stamos notablyapologized after users started complaining that Facebook was spamming them on the phone numbers with which they had signed up for two-factor authentication.
They insisted that it won&t happen again, but it also definitely won&t if they don&t have your number to begin with.The new functionality is available in the&Security and Login& tab in your Facebook settings.