Give Your Gmail Account A Bullet Proof Security By Enabling Google’s 2-Step Verification

Every one of us have email accounts which contains both sensitive and personal information. Imagine if one day you try to log-in to your account and couldn’t do it so. That’s the worst thing that any one of us can even think of (or may be most of us have already faced such situation for once). To avoid such thing we should take necessary steps to make our information as much secured as possible

And to do that, Google has offered a 2-step verification system, which is a bullet proof security thing for your GMAIL accounts and i recommend every user to enable this option immediately after reading the details and step by step guide below.

How This Security Works

Once you enable 2-step verification, you’ll see an extra page that prompts you for a code when you sign in to your account. After entering your password, Google will call you with the code, send you a SMS message or give you the choice to generate the code for yourself using a mobile application on your Android, BlackBerry or iPhone device. The choice is up to you. When you enter this code after correctly submitting your password we’ll have a pretty good idea that the person signing in is actually you.

What Is The Idea Behind This New Security

if someone manages to guess or crack your password, he won’t be able to login to your account unless he enters the second verification code as well, which was sent to your mobile.

What Are The Worries

a. You will have to spend some more time to log-in and verifying your identity by entering the verification code sent to your mobile. The verification code can be remembered for 30 days on a specific computer so that it only needs to be entered again once the 30 days are over.

b. If you lose your phone then you can’t log-in to your account as well.  Don't worry, during the 2-step verification process, it will ask you to add a backup phone to your account and will also  generate some backup codes that you can use in such situations.

 

c. You need to have your phone with you when ever you want to access your Google Account. 

How To Enable 2-step Verification

1. Open your “Account Page” and you will see this option under Personal Settings

2. Click on the “Using 2-step verification” link and it may ask you to enter your Gmail account password

3. After that you will see the 2-step verification setup page. Click the button “Set up 2-step verification”

4. Now you have to decide, how you want to setup this verification. There are three ways to let Google send the two step verification code to you:

• Using the Google Authenticator App for Android, BlackBerry or iPhone. (you have to install an App on your phone which generates the code for your account)

• Sending an SMS message, works with any mobile phone and not just smartphones.
• A voice call to any phone number so this is useful for those who don’t have a mobile phone yet

Note: I would prefer using the SMS or Automated voice message option because it can be really time consuming to find the Authenticator app and launch it again and again, scanning the QR code and so on

5. In order to receive a confirmation via SMS or Automated voice message, click on the “Other – Use another phone” option

6. On this Set up your phone page, enter the details and test your phone by clicking on the “Send Code” button. You will receive a code via SMS or Automated voice message (depends on your selection). Enter that code in the Code verification box and click “Verify”

7. Once you verified your phone, click “Next”. Now you need to set up the backup option. The backup option is needed in case your phone is lost or stolen. You will be provided with backup codes required for signing in if your phone is lost.

8. Take the print out or keep the screenshot of this page in your computer and Tick mark “Yes, i have a copy of my backup verification codes” and click “Next”.

9. You can add one more mobile number (if you want) which can then be verified.

10. Click on the “Turn on 2-step verification” button and you are done.

How To Use 2-step Verification

1. After successfully enabling the 2-step verification option, Go to your Gmail account in order to Sign-in (sign out if you are already signed in)

2. Enter your username and password (like always) and Click sign in button

3. You will then be prompted to enter a code, which is tied only to a phone number you provided during the verification process. You can receive this code on your phone using one of the Google Authenticator apps available for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry, via SMS, or through a voice call (depends which option you selected when you enabled 2-step verification option)

4. Enter the code and you can tick mark the box “Remember verification for this computer”. In this case, your verification code will be saved for this computer only for 30 days.  Click “Verify” and you are now logged In.

Note: Choosing the “Remember” setting is entirely “optional” but you may want to utilize this setting on the home computer to avoid spending too much time logging in with the two step verification code again and again. For all other computers e.g Office computers, college or internet cafes, you should not use the “Remember” setting at all. Recommended

5. If you don’t remember the verification code that’s sent to your mobile device, no need to panic. You can always request a fresh code using the link “Get a new verification code” (as shown in above screenshot) and let Google send an SMS message to your phone or make a voice call to you.

Important Notes:

• If you can’t find the “Using two step verification” link in your Google Account settings page or your country name at the Set up your phone page, then don’t worry, this feature will be rolled out across all users and the link should appear shortly.
• Use only that phone number which you are always carrying it with you.
• Keep the backup codes at some private place. Incase you lost your mobile, then this information is indeed required.
• You can provide backup phone details of someone whom you can trust for example any family member (Not a wife OFCOURSE)

Google’s two step verification is indeed a nice step towards enhanced Gmail security. And i recommend every user to enable it to give your email account a bullet proof security. Do share your comments and suggestions about this new security at below page commenting section.