Hackaday dives into the process of 2-Step Authentication. With the feeling that online security is constantly under attack many services are turning to 2-step to add an extra layer of safety. Even with the added protection make sure you have strong passwords. Read on to learn how they work and why they still aren’t fool proof. Via Hackaday:
Two-factor is great in theory. Instead of just relying on a password, “something you know” in the jargon, you combine another factor for authentication: “something you have” or “something you are”. Ideally, this means requiring possession of a cellphone or security token, or presenting your fingerprint to be scanned. In theory, there’s no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, because of cost and convenience, most 2FA implementations use an app that authenticates using the time-based one-time password (TOTP) algorithm. That is, it’s just another password. In particular, Google’s Authenticator app and the WordPress interface which I’m currently using implement “something I have” by storing this one-time password on my cellphone.
Remember that QR code on the screen when you enrolled your phone? That was the password. You could tell me this secret password, and then I’d know your account token too. With access to this initial password and a little code, I can log in without having a cell phone at all, much less yours. This is “something you know” rather than “something you have”. If you think this is semantics, let’s compare the security properties of SMS-based 2FA (which is 2FA) and app-based “2FA” which isn’t.
TOTP keys simply can’t be stored hashed, because the authentication algorithm requires them in raw form. When the TOTP key database gets compromised, all of the TOTP / 2FA protection becomes worthless and you’re relying on the strength of your password to save you. Until the database gets breached, however, the ever-changing TOTP password is a great protection against eavesdroppers.
Getting the best of both worlds is easy enough: use TOTP / 2FA when it’s available, but make sure that your passwords are unique across websites and that each one is long and strong. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that 2FA is a substitute for good password practices — you’ll be living just one database breach away from the edge.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
