Secure your account with 2-step verification
Turning on 2-step verification is the most important thing you can do to protect your business. Here's how users and admins can enable it in Google Workspace.
· Updated · 2 min read
Cybercriminals target businesses of all sizes every day. When an attacker gets into your account, they get access to valuable and often confidential company data: your email, documents, spreadsheets, financial records and more.
As responsible internet citizens, we all need to care about security. A breach can have a crippling, often irreversible impact on your business and your reputation.
Did you know?
- 48% of SMBs expect to close permanently after a data breach (Cyberthreat Index for Business, 2019).
- 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email (Enterprise Phishing Susceptibility and Resiliency Report, 2016).
- Data breaches targeting small businesses rose 74% year on year in 2018 (Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 2018).
What is 2-step verification?
Most people protect their account with a single layer of security: their password. Today, many see 2-step verification (2SV) as a necessary extra layer.
A hacker might be able to steal or guess a password, but they can’t reproduce something only you have.
2-step verification adds a layer of security between your business and attackers who try to steal user credentials to reach sensitive business data. It works much like your bank OTP, but if you use Google Authenticator, not even cloning your phone’s SIM card will let an attacker into your accounts.
2SV secures your Google Workspace account with:
- Something you know: your password.
- Something you have: your phone.
For users: enable 2-step verification
Google Workspace users can turn on 2-step verification by following these steps:
- Open your Google Account.
- In the navigation panel, select Security.
- Under “Signing in to Google”, select 2-Step Verification and then Get started.
- Follow the on-screen steps.
Detailed instructions: Protect your account with 2-step verification.
For admins: protect your business with 2SV
Business owners and administrators can use 2-step verification to protect Google Workspace accounts from unauthorised access.
Enabling 2-step verification is the single most important action you can take to protect your business.
For detailed instructions on enabling it across your Google Workspace deployment, see Deploy 2-step verification.
Need help deploying 2-step verification on your Google Workspace domain? Get in touch for help and advice.
Summary
A cyberattack can be crippling for businesses big and small, both financially and in terms of reputation. The cost of implementing 2-step verification is relatively small, and if you’re already a Google Workspace customer, even less. To learn more about how we can help you secure your company’s data, contact us today.
