Google Boosts Cybersecurity with Security Key Requirement

Google Boosts Cybersecurity with Security Key Requirement

Google employees have successfully dodged phishing attempts for over a year thanks security keys and two-factor authentication.

One of the biggest ways companies are infiltrated by hackers is through phishing. Attackers craft an email that looks just like something you'd normally click on, like a bill or an email telling you to change your password but instead the user is giving their information away - making their account vulnerable.

Google seems to have solved this phishing problem with a $20 security key it requires all its employees to use.

None of Google's 85,000 employees have successfully been phished on their work accounts since it started requiring the extra security to log in, the company said.

"We have had no reported or confirmed account takeovers since implementing security keys at Google," the company told Business Insider.

Google took the security of their employee's accounts to the extreme. Usually when employees sign on using two-factor authentication, you put in your username and password and then enter a code that comes through a text or app. Google requires that employees insert a security key instead of the code, bolstering the security of the accounts.

In October, Google launched an advanced protection program involving security keys for people at the highest risk of being phished, including journalists, business leaders and activists. Google has worked with several industry groups, such as the FIDO Alliance, to develop security-key technology called U2F.

A 2016 Google study found that text-message or app-based two-factor authentication, sometimes called "one-time password," had an average failure rate of 3%, while the U2F or security-key approach had a 0% failure rate.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.