How much would you love someone having access to your Facebook account and all the private messages and content there? How about your Gmail? Imagine the damage someone could with with access to all your most personal information stored there (not to mention all your personal messages and emails). Ouch. I don't know about you, but the idea of some stranger combing through all that personal data makes my stomach turn. I stumbled across this Yahoo Canada article that makes it really easy to protect your accounts with simple two-step verifications that I'm betting most of us haven't implemented.
The idea behind the two-step verification process is to make it more difficult for people to gain access to your Gmail or Facebook accounts. Think about it — many of us just sit down, type in "Gmail.com" and have immediate password-free access to our accounts. Is that smart? Nope. Especially if you're using a portable device to access the internet, like a laptop, tablet or phone. It's way too easy for someone with ill intentions to get in and wreak havoc. With two-step verification, you're required to enter a password and a code that's texted to you, so even if someone has access to your computer, they're unable to log in if you've got your phone.
Sure, it's a bit of a pain, but it's better than having your private data made available to just anyone, isn't it? Here's a handy graphic you can share with others to help them protect their accounts, too:
Remind your kids that their passwords are private, and to never share their personal information with anyone. And then implement this process on their accounts, too. It's always better to be safe than sorry. And while you're at it, learn why it's important to remove your home from Google Maps, too.
(Here's a really handy site that tells you which other sites offer two-step verification.)
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