Reddit [Finally] Offers Two-Factor Authentication to All Users

One of the most popular, most-visited and most-populated websites in the world is switching on 2FA as a security measure.

It’s official. Reddit, which calls itself the ‘front page of the internet’ has finally offered the long-awaited two-factor authentication (2FA) as a security measure for hundreds of millions of users following successful trails with moderators and beta testers.

“You asked for it, and we’re delivering! Today, all Reddit users have the option to enable two-factor authentication for an additional layer of account security,” Reddit wrote in an announcement on Wednesday.

The long-awaited feature, when activated, will mandate users to access a 6-digit verification code generated by the user’s phone following a sign-in attempt. The security practice is particularly useful in delivering one-time disposal codes for an added layer of authentication, particularly in an era when brute-force attacks are routinely used to easily crack easily-remembered password combinations or common phrases.

Reddit added in its statement:

Two-factor is supported across desktop, mobile, and third-party apps. It requires an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, or any app supporting the TOTP protocol) to generate your 6-digit verification code.

Further, Reddit will also provide each user with 10 one-off codes, enabling them to authenticate their accounts if they are without their smartphone.

Despite the benefits of 2FA, a Google engineer revealed that less than 10 percent of Gmail users had enabled the security feature in their accounts. The feature isn’t mandatory in Gmail nor Reddit, plausibly since it wouldn’t inconvenience users. While two factor authentication isn’t the be all end all of a cybersecurity safeguard, it – at the very least- puts another brick wall for a hacker to run through.

Image credit: Pixabay.