As more and more of our important personal data is stored online and more and more hacks of corporate databases make that data available to the worst people, the need for added security on our online accounts has grown considerably. It’s no longer enough to have a secure, hard to crack password. We now need to enable two-factor/multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA). These services allow you to use something you have, such as your smartphone, along with something you know, in this case your password, to ensure that your account stays secure.
Previously, MFA services were only available for government organizations or enterprise banking services. Now, MFA apps are available to anybody with a smart phone or a computer. Large tech companies such as Google and Microsoft provide free MFA apps, for use with their own services as well as with others which offer MFA for their accounts. You can even sync these apps between devices to ensure you always have your MFA accounts available to you. One thing these apps do not provide, however, is encryption of your MFA accounts. If your Google account is hacked, the hackers could gain access to your MFA codes.
Proton, a Swiss company known for its focus on user privacy and security, has released their own authenticator app, Proton Authenticator. This app, available on all major computer and mobile operating systems, adds end-to-end encryption between devices to keep your MFA accounts secure and safe. If your Proton account is hacked, your MFA accounts are still not visible to the hackers. The app is also open source, allowing anyone to inspect the code and verify its security. Finally, the app is free with no Proton account requirement to use it.
You can find more information about Proton Authenticator as well as download options for your devices here.
