How to Set up Two-Factor Authentication on Amazon
What is Two-Factor Authentication and why do I need it?
Two-Factor Authentication, or simply 2FA, is another layer of protection that requires you to enter more than just a password and username to log into your Amazon account, and it's something that you, and only you, know, like a secret question or some other piece of information. This makes it much more difficult for bad actors to gain access to your account.
2FA is not a revolutionary new idea. It has been around for years, and most of you have probably had an encounter with it if you have even at least a somewhat active online life. MSN, Yahoo, and Google have all been using Two-Factor Authentication on their platforms for years. Google introduced 2FA all the way back in 2011.
By enabling Two-Factor Authentication, you can protect your Amazon account and lower the chances of identity theft on the Internet in general. You can also block phishing email attacks, and brute force hacking tactics, because the hackers don't know the personal information required or they can't receive the token/passcode sent to your phone.
How to enable Two-Step Verification on Amazon
It's very simple. Just follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Amazon account if you haven't already.
- Navigate to Advanced Security Settings.
- Press on "Get Started" to set-up Two-Step Verification.
- Either enter your main phone number (this phone must be capable of receiving SMS messages) or download and configure an authenticator app and press "Send code".
- Type in the code that you just received on your phone or generated through the authenticator app and click "Verify code" and continue.
- The next step is to either add a back-up phone number or decide on the delivery format (text message or voice call) or to download and set up an authenticator app. This will allow you to generate security codes when you're unable to receive messages to your device. However Amazon's help page says that you will not be able to turn on Two-Step Verification without adding a back-up phone number anyway, so I recommend that option.
After that, your Amazon account will have the added security provided by Two-Factor Authentication.