Google's Secret to Protect Its Employees From Hacking Is Physical Keys
Phishing attacks, where hackers trick you into giving them your password while leaving you none the wiser, are one of the most nefarious vectors of cyberattack out there, but Google appears to have settled on an extremely robust solution for protecting its own employees. According to a Google spokesperson talking to security blog Krebs on Security, the adoption of physical Security Keys stopped the attacks in their tracks.
Security Keys, small USB stick devices made by YubiKey, function similar to two-factor authentication (2FA) methods you may (and should) already be using. With 2FA enabled, you (or hackers) need more than just username and password, they also need a second factor, often a number sent to a trusted telephone number by SMS, or a key generated by an authentication app like Google Authenticator.
These measures absolutely increase security, but they come with their own downsides....
