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I finally dug out my old hardware token after an authenticator app left me locked out | Cybersecurity Tips - Librear

I finally dug out my old hardware token after an authenticator app left me locked out

Remember when setting up two-factor meant just getting a text to your phone? It felt secure and easy. Now I have five different authenticator apps, and if my phone updates or loses signal, I'm stuck. Last month, I couldn't access my bank account because the app reset after an auto-update. It took two days of calls to fix, all while a bill was due. So I found that old key fob from a job years ago and set it up for my main accounts. It's not fancy, but it works without needing a phone or internet. Sometimes the old ways are less headache for keeping things safe.

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_adams917mo ago

Yeah, this hits on a real trend lately. Everything gets an app or an update that just adds more points of failure. Like smart home stuff that needs wifi to turn on a light, when a switch always works. Keeping things safe should be simple and steady, not tied to a phone that can die or lose signal. That key fob is a solid backup because it does one job and doesn't need extra steps. We forget that not every problem needs a high tech fix when the old way still works fine.

valgibson7mo ago

Wait, you need WIFI just to turn on a light now? That's actually insane (and kind of terrifying when you think about it). @sean_adams91 is totally right about adding pointless failure points, like my friend's smart fridge that locked him out during a router reset. That key fob backup is the only smart part of the whole deal, a simple thing that just works when the fancy system trips over itself.

garcia.wendy7mo ago

Ugh, tell me about it. My fancy digital lock died from low batteries last week. Stood there like an idiot. Had to call a neighbor to climb through a window. The old key under the rock worked fine. I felt so smart until then.