2FA on Linux: How to install Google Authenticator and Twilio Authy?
Today's tutorial is closely related to the topic of Computer security or Cybersecurity. Because, as many of you know, managing access to our online resources through passwords alone is no longer considered secure. Therefore, the most recommended is the use of complementary alternatives, among which one of the best known is the 2FA technology.
La 2FA technology, better known in Spanish as "Double Authentication Factor" o "Two-factor authentication", is an excellent protection method, since it implements one more validation layer in our activities. And to use this technology, there are many apps such Google Authenticator and Twilio Authy. Which, here we will see how to install them on GNU / Linux.
And as usual, before getting fully into today's point about the 2FA technology and about install Google Authenticator and Twilio Authy en GNU / Linux, we will leave for those interested in exploring some previous related posts with what is addressed here, the following links to them. So that you can easily explore them, if necessary, after reading this publication:
"The move to automatically enable two-factor authentication aims to increase the security of Google user accounts by removing the "biggest threat" that makes hacking easy: passwords that are hard to remember and, worse, easy to steal. According to Mark Risher, one of the best ways to protect an account against an incorrect or cracked password is to set up a second form of verification, another way for your account to confirm that it is really your connection.". Google will enable two-factor authentication by default for everyone
2FA: Double Factor Authentication
What is 2FA?
La 2FA technology serves to make a person or user, must and can, authenticate to a user account through a extra step more, that is, in two steps instead of one.
What in practice leaves as a result, having to enter a later code or password to the traditional process of writing the username or email and the associated password. Which is usually the only step we usually need by default to log into an account for a service, resource, or application.
Therefore, said mechanism or technology strives to confirm that it is really you real and valid user, who is accessing the user account of the corresponding service, resource or application.
This is usually of the utmost importance, since, mainly and on a regular basis, hacking (acts of digital piracy) With their respective data breaches that include accounts, user names and passwords, from multiple providers or owners of online services, resources and applications.
Lastly, to use the 2FA technology, many available apps can be used, but 2 famous apps in this field, which are Google Authenticator and Twilio Auth. Which next, we will learn to install easily on our GNU / Linux Operating Systems using the graphical application called GNOME software.
How to install Google Authenticator on Linux?
To install Google Authenticator about GNU / Linux we need to make sure we have support installed to manage the snap parcel, executing the following steps in a Terminal (Console):
«sudo apt install snapd apparmor apparmor-profiles-extra apparmor-utils gnome-software-plugin-snap»
«sudo snap install core»
Then, we restart the Operating System and we can now open the application GNOME software, find it and install it, as shown in the following image:
"The “2FA” Technology is known in English as “Two Factor Authentication” and in Spanish as “Double Factor Authentication” or “Two-Factor Authentication”. And in some cases, such as: Two-Step Verification (2SV)".
How to install Twilio Authy on Linux?
To install Twilio authy about GNU / Linux we need to make sure we have support installed to manage the flatpack package, executing the following steps in a Terminal (Console):
«sudo apt install flatpak gnome-software-plugin-flatpak»
«flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo»
Then, we restart the Operating System and we can now open the application GNOME software, find it and install it, as shown in the following image:
"With the activation of the «2FA» Technology, it is possible to obtain a way to confirm that the one who is trying to authenticate is the real and valid user (us), in an easy and efficient way. In order to mitigate or avoid being affected at any time without realizing it, by third-party attacks through the use of our data with dangerous and harmful intentions.".
Summary
In short, 2FA technology It is a great and simple technology that, if well implemented, offers a reliable and secure additional layer of security against the processes of usurpation of identities and improper access to accounts by third parties. Therefore, using it will save anyone many various problems arising from future consequences of security breaches. And for this, as can be seen, we can use GNU / Linux so much Google Authenticator and Twilio Authy, without major difficulties.
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