• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Watch

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

TechChanging Face of Security

You’re Implementing This Basic Security Feature All Wrong

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 27, 2016, 7:27 PM ET
87th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals
HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 22: Actress Reese Witherspoon attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)Kevork Djansezian—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

You’ve created different passwords for all your online accounts and set up a password manager to remember them all. You’ve also changed your passwords after all the recent hackings and implemented two-factor authentication, a tool that provides extra protection against breaches by requiring a second login code that is sent to your smartphone, for example, each time you sign on.

Nice job! This is the closest thing to hacker-proof you’ve ever been, right?

Hold the phone—literally. Because that last measure—two factor authentication—may have several vulnerabilities. The flaws here have to do with the way many Internet companies send security codes to your phone as part of the two-factor authentication process, as Wired points out.

Texts, or SMS messages, are not the ideal way to convey such information. Attackers can compromise your text-based two-factor authentication in a few ways.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

First, they can do it through social engineering—in other words, by calling your mobile service provider and asking them to redirect messages normally delivered to your phone to one containing a different SIM card. You can help block this by calling your provider and asking to set up a PIN code on your account, where applicable.

Second, attackers can intercept messages using a device called an IMSI—or international mobile subscriber identity—catcher. The machines are not cheap, sure—but hey, maybe your enemies are well off?

And third, hackers can exploit weaknesses in the protocols that allow telecom carriers to exchange data between networks. That became clear earlier this year after 60 Minutes aired a segment on Signaling System 7, one such vulnerable protocol.

The good news: there are alternatives. Instead of using a two-factor process tied to your mobile device’s SMS, consider downloading and implementing a separate two-factor authentication app. These apps generate random numbers on your device—time-based one-time passwords—that are coupled with your online accounts. Examples include EMC-owned (EMC) RSA SecurID, or Google (GOOG) Authenticator.

For more security advice, watch:

Now I know what some of you are probably thinking: this level of security must just be for the paranoids. Well, maybe.

Security is a risk based decision. But if you would like to be proactive, go ahead and make the change where you’re able. In this humble reporter’s opinion, it’s worth staying ahead of the attack curve when possible. Because when the lions approach, you don’t want to be the straggler left sipping at the watering hole.

This isn’t just a theoretical weakness, after all. Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson had his Twitter (TWTR) account taken over, apparently by a hacker who duped someone at Verizon (VZ) into authorizing a fraudulent SIM card. Political activists in Russia and Iran have had their Telegram accounts hijacked. Even Lorrie Cranor, chief technologist of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, got scammed.

If you’re an online business, here’s the takeaway: offer your users a non-SMS two-step login method. Besides, you might be keeping privacy-conscious users—ones who don’t wish to part with their phone numbers—from protecting their accounts.

For the rest of the Internet’s denizens: if you haven’t set up two-factor authentication, do! Even in the absence of an app-based option, you still should. SMS-based two-factor authentication is better than nothing.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

A physical Bitcoin coin held between an index finger and a thumb.
CryptoBitcoin
Bitcoin owners rocked by $116 million hack: What we know about the Coldcard exploit
By Camila Grigera NaónAugust 3, 2026
3 hours ago
broker
InvestingMarkets
Wall Street bulls are starting to admit the earnings bubble is real—and the 60/40 portfolio may be the first casualty
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 3, 2026
3 hours ago
Photo of Sam Altman
SuccessWealth
Sam Altman reveals the investing advice billionaire Peter Thiel gave him that helped him amass a $3.3 billion net worth without OpenAI equity
By Preston ForeAugust 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Photo of the ElliQ device in a living room
AITech
Forget Gen Z: People in their 70s and 80s are some of the earliest Americans to welcome physical AI into their homes and daily routines
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezAugust 3, 2026
5 hours ago
Fortune Daily video show graphic showing host Ellie Austin
C-SuiteFortune Daily
Welcome to Fortune Daily
By Ellie AustinAugust 3, 2026
5 hours ago
congress
Commentaryregulation
Congress needs an AI framework now
By Caleb KnappAugust 3, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
North America
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
By Catherina GioinoAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
Middle East
As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
By Jason MaAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
Economy
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
By Jason MaAugust 1, 2026
2 days ago
Trump just invoked a 1930 tariff law no president has ever used — against Canada
Commentary
Trump just invoked a 1930 tariff law no president has ever used — against Canada
By Caleb PetittAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
He was homeless at 16. Now he sits on the board of David Beckham's wellness company and his business is about to hit $1 billion in revenue
Success
He was homeless at 16. Now he sits on the board of David Beckham's wellness company and his business is about to hit $1 billion in revenue
By Emma BurleighAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.