QRs to replace the traditional dependency on SMS-based verification codes!
A major change is coming in the way you secure your Gmail accounts. As per a report by Forbes, the log-in glow-up includes adopting a QR-based authentication. This ditches the traditional method of depending on SMS codes and waiting for them to arrive, often with frustrating delays due to network issues.
SMS Codes have been an authentication method for almost a decade, and many email apps depend on them.
But let’s be real—they’re a security hot mess.
SMS codes present numerous security challenges; they can be phished, people don’t always have access to the device the codes are sent to, and they are reliant on the security practices of the user’s carrier. If a fraudster can easily trick a carrier into getting hold of someone’s phone number, the security value of SMS goes away.
-Google’s Ross Richendrfer
How are QR Codes Making Emails Safer?
The quick answer is that it makes phishing almost impossible.
No more attempts to take your contact number or hacking attempts to steal your precious codes.
Hackers used to convince network carriers to port numbers of victims to steal their data. With QRs replacing two factors, the login entirely depends on the user’s device. As for the timeline, the entire system might take a few months to replace the login method; at least, that’s what Google is projecting currently.
The exact date, however, isn’t yet confirmed. But in the Forbes report, Richendrfer has clearly hinted that in the upcoming few months, more developments are on the way.
