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The last thing anyone wants is more complication in their online life. And managing passwords is certainly one of the banes of our Internet existence. However, there are things that we have to do to stay safe online and making sure that our accounts are not being accessed by “bad actors” (not the stage and screen kind) is at the top of the list.
I’ve written before about the importance of using multiple passwords for online accounts and the system that I use for managing them. I recently started using an option in my Google account called Two-step Verification, to further protect my Google password. Here’s the basic idea: There are only a few computer devices – like your desktop, laptop and phone – from which you will regularly access your Google account. If some other device attempts access, it should be suspect and subject to additional verification.
Verification takes the form of a random string of characters that must be entered in addition to your password – and here’s what makes it so secure – it is not delivered to the computer requesting access. Instead, it can be delivered via:
Here’s a short video that further explains the program:
Although you must have a Google account to set this up, other systems can piggyback on it, using Google’s API (application programming interface). You don’t need to understand how this works, just that you can add two-step verification to other passwords, if those services have chosen to integrate with Google. Two that have are LastPass (the password manager that I use – yay!) and WordPress.com. More are likely to join the program, so it should become even more valuable over time.
Setup is a little tedious, I’ll admit, but it only needs to be done once. The best instructions are on the Google Accounts Help site. In addition to a Google account, you will need:
Once you have configured Two-step Verification, your Google account will use it the first time that you log in from any device. If you are using one of your regular devices, you can check a box and the system will not try to re-verify that device for 30 days. After that it will re-verify, so you’ll need access to whatever device receives your verification code.
There are quite a few applications that use your Google login that can’t ask for verification codes directly, including:
These programs require that you generate an application-specific password to use in place of your normal Google password. This is done online in your Google Account, then cut-and-pasted into the application’s password box. According to Google, “Most of the time, you will only have to enter an application-specific password once per application or device (soon after you turn on 2-step verification).” Personally, I’ve had to generate passwords for four different applications and I’ve had to enter it into Google Talk twice.
My Google and LastPass passwords are the keys to my online existence. If a bad person got hold of either of them, I would be well and truly screwed. Because LastPass is using the Google API in their latest version (thanks, guys!), I can give both of these critical passwords an extra margin of protection.
In deciding for yourself, use the Likely/Consequences Sliding Scale™. What is the likelihood of your password falling into the wrong hands and how bad would the consequences be if it did? If either one of those answers rise high enough on your personal discomfort scale, consider using Two-step Verification.
A new ebook from Google confirms what I have believed for some time now: The success of any business is dependent upon online activities, whether or not they believe it, like it or participate in it. Consumers are using a wide range of online services to make their buying decisions about all types of products and services, seemingly without exception.
The book’s title, Winning the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT, for acronym lovers), comes from the pre-Internet days of marketing, when there were two “moments of truth”. The first occurred when the consumer stood in a store, facing a shelf with a selection of products from which to choose. The second moment of truth was when they got the product home and decided if they liked it or not. Today, there’s a third moment of truth that happens before either of these, the Zero Moment. This moment takes place online and it has an enormous impact on the next two. Activities that take place in the Zero Moment include search, reading reviews, visiting manufacturer websites, conversations on social media, watching videos on YouTube and many others.
Winning the Zero Moment of Truth was written by Jim Lecinski, Google’s Managing Director of US Sales & Service and while his conclusions may be somewhat self-serving, they are also backed up by data. Google commissioned Shopper Sciences to survey 5,000 shoppers about the sources that influence their buying decisions. Some of the results were startling:
Not only does the book include lots of statistics, charts and graphs, it also provides examples of things that businesses of all sizes can do to play a part in the Zero Moment of Truth. It convincingly makes the point that a shift has taken place in the buying process and that businesses must adapt or be left behind.
Winning the Zero Moment of Truth is available for free in a variety of electronic formats. Consider it required reading.
The 140 Character Conference – Small Town took place in Hutchinson, KS on September 20th and once again was a great sucess, bringing together an impressive array of speakers and attendees. Deb Brown and I spoke about our experiences producing LOCAL 140Conf events, hers in Des Moines, IA and mine in Twain Harte, CA. Here is a recording of our presentation:
Last November, I traveled 1,574 miles (according to Google Maps) to the Fox Theater in Hutchinson, KS, for a one-day conference on the use of social media in small towns. The 140 Character Conference – Small Town was a collaboration between Becky McCray, small town entrepreneurial advocate and author of the Small Biz Survival Blog, and Jeff Pulver, big town entrepreneur and conference producer. Jeff had produced 140 Conferences in major cities all over the world but this would be the first to focus on the online stories of rural areas.
We spent the day listening to the experiences of ordinary folks using social media and the real-time web to accomplish extraordinary things. From business to non-profits to educators to a rather baffled group of Hutchinson police officers, we learned from people who were using these tools to make a difference in their communities.
Next week, I’ll be traveling back to Hutchinson, this time as a speaker. I’ll be co-presenting with Deb Brown on our experiences producing LOCAL 140Confs in our own home towns; she in Des Moines, IA and me in Twain Harte, CA. The rest of the schedule looks great and includes such thought-provoking topics as:
Watch this report on last year’s 140Conf, from Oklahoma Horizon TV:
I encourage anyone within 1,574 miles of Hutchinson to attend. Use the offer code “friendof140″ to make the ticket price a measly $40. If you are unable to be there in person, the entire day will be live streamed (check the website on the day of the conference for the link) and you can follow the hashtag #140conf on Twitter.
Thank you, Becky and Jeff, for bringing the 140Conf back to a small town for a second year. I’m proud to be a part of this “conference for the rest of us”.
This feature has been available for almost a year but many people still have not enabled it. This is a good time to review its use, for a couple of reasons:
Using the multiple accounts feature allows you to switch quickly back and forth between accounts. Here’s how to set it up:
I recommend that you keep only one tab open and use “Switch accounts” to move between different Google accounts. Otherwise, it gets confusing as to which account you are currently using.
Now that it’s easy to switch accounts, please come join the conversations in Google Plus. If you need an invitation, let me know in comments (use a Gmail address in your comment) and if you’re already there, please add me to your circles.
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