Is it really that easy to hack someones gmail account?
I realize phishing and key loggers are easy ways to grab a password, but if you avoid typing your gmail password at public internet kiosks and the like, is it really that easy for someone to get at? Assuming you use a reasonably long and impossible to guess password, the captchas would prevent brute forcing.
An attack targeted specifically at you will inevitably succeed but most of us are not that special.
The article's advice seems far too easy to lock yourself out (losing my wallet with my magic paper codes and my phone could do it). The additional inconvenience does not seem worth it.
Most of us have used physical 2 factor authentication (like RSA SecurID) for banking and work related VPN access. This works well because the provider (your office, your bank) has a vested interest in getting you back into your account if you get locked out. Google, Yahoo, MS, etc. have no such obligation.
I realize phishing and key loggers are easy ways to grab a password, but if you avoid typing your gmail password at public internet kiosks and the like, is it really that easy for someone to get at? Assuming you use a reasonably long and impossible to guess password, the captchas would prevent brute forcing.
An attack targeted specifically at you will inevitably succeed but most of us are not that special.
The article's advice seems far too easy to lock yourself out (losing my wallet with my magic paper codes and my phone could do it). The additional inconvenience does not seem worth it.
Most of us have used physical 2 factor authentication (like RSA SecurID) for banking and work related VPN access. This works well because the provider (your office, your bank) has a vested interest in getting you back into your account if you get locked out. Google, Yahoo, MS, etc. have no such obligation.