Cyber crime is climbing fast, with criminal hackers using AI tools to launch brute force attacks - costing billions globally. But according to Microsoft, two-factor authentication (2FA) may prevent 99.9% of attacks.
Authenticator app on multiple devices
If you’re using an authenticator app for 2FA, you can set up multiple devices to generate codes. A password manager is the easiest way to do this as many can auto-fill your login details including the 2FA code, and automatically share codes across devices.
When you set up two-factor authentication with an authenticator app:
Scan the QR code with an authenticator app on every device you want to use (e.g. your mobile and tablet)
Check all your devices generate the same 6-digit code
Use the 6-digit code to complete the set up of 2FA
Different methods for different devices
If you’re using SMS (i.e. where codes are sent to your phone by text messaging), you’ll only be able to register one phone number. Fortunately, you can add a second ‘recovery’ 2FA method for another device. For example, you could set up an authenticator desktop app on your computer, or phone call to a second number.
You can set up or change your recovery method in your 2FA settings.