I really don’t get why anyone would tell people to water down their computer security.
The Australian government has repeatedly called for citizens to turn off two-factor authentication (2FA) at its main digital government portal, myGov. The portal’s Twitter account has recently been updated several times with cute pictures encouraging holidaymakers to “turn off your myGov security codes”
The portal is the place where Australian citizens can use and manage a number of governmental services, including health insurance, tax payments, and child support. In case of myGov, two-factor authentication is implemented by sending users text messages that contain one-time codes to complement their usual passwords.
The point is that it is unlikely that someone will have both your username/passwords for the site AND your mobile phone.
This is what makes two factor so good. It makes things really really hard for someone to bust into your account by just guessing things, or even doing some social hacking…. They might get some info, but they still need physical access to your mobile phone to get the code.
Yeah, Ok, if and that’s a pretty big if, you are traveling over seas, you might have to stop and think about things, but to just go out and tell everyone to turn it off is just nuts.
If you have any websites you visit offer two factor. Take it up.
Do not listen to these guys. Do not turn it off.
Plain and simple.
