Google claims default 2FA reduced account breaches by 50%

Google has reported a 50% drop in account breaches among users with auto-enabled two-factor authentication (2FA).

The search giant began auto-enrolling users in 2-Step Verification (2SV) late last year. To date, more than 150 million users have been auto-enrolled, including over two million YouTuber users.

Commenting on the 50% drop in compromised accounts, Google said the decrease “speaks volumes to how effective having a second form of verification can be in protecting your data and personal information.”

In addition, the firm said it is actively developing technologies that will enable seamless, secure login without the need for passwords.

A case in point is security keys, another form of verification that requires users to plug in and tap a key to log in. Smartphones running the Android operating system have this functionality built right in, as do Apple devices utilizing the Google Smart Lock app.

Furthermore, the company vowed to implement more security upgrades as part of Safer Internet Day.

Starting next month, users can opt into Google's account-level safe browsing feature, which offers the broadest security protection against threats on the web and against their Google account.

Guest Mode, a privacy feature of Google Assistant, will be expanding to nine new languages in the coming months for global availability on smart displays and speakers, such as Nest Hub Max and Nest Audio.

“As always, we encourage all high-risk users to enroll in our free Advanced Protection Program, which bundles the strongest Google Account security options together, and proactively protects against new and evolving threats,” added Google.