Google Makes It Easier for At-Risk Users to Lock Down Their Accounts

Google Makes It Easier for At-Risk Users to Lock Down Their Accounts

Google is rolling out a fancy new security feature today that’s designed to protect users who face significant risk of having their accounts hacked—election and campaign officials, victims of intimate partner violence, and others seeking additional security.

It’s called the Advanced Protection Program, and it’s designed to ensure that no one but you can access your Google tools like Gmail, Google Drive, and YouTube. Of course, locking down an account so carefully means sacrificing convenience—but Google says its worth it for some users.

“Advanced Protection provides Google’s strongest security, designed for those who are at an elevated risk of attack and are willing to trade off a bit of convenience for more protection of their personal Google Accounts,” the company said in a blog post.

Advanced Protection secures a user’s account with a security key. USB security keys are considered a stronger tool for two-step verification than a texted or app-generated code, and provide reliable protection against phishing. Google’s program adds a bluetooth key, so that Advanced Protection can work when logging in on a phone as well as a laptop.

For now at least, Advanced Protection blocks all non-Google apps from accessing your account, although the company said external apps may be allowed in the future.

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Google Makes It Easier for At-Risk Users to Lock Down Their Accounts
Google is rolling out a fancy new security feature today that’s designed to protect users who face significant risk of having their accounts hacked—election and campaign officials, victims of intimate partner violence, and others seeking additional security.


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