Regular readers of this blog know that I’m a huge fan of two-factor authentication for online accounts.
For those who might have missed them, I have already written posts explaining how to enable it on Facebook and Twitter.
Two factor authentication is a security measure which requires you to enter a verification code that’s sent to your mobile phone before you’ll be allowed to log in to your account.
This effectively locks your online account as tight as a virtual drum since a hacker would need physical access to your cell phone in order to break into your account.
The steps below explain how to quickly and easily enable two-step verification on your Dropbox account:
1 – Log in to your Dropbox account.
2 – Click on your avatar (the little thumbnail photo) avatar at the top of any page to open the “Account” menu.
3 – Select the Security tab.
4 Toggle the “Two-step verification” setting to On.
5 – Click Get started.
6 – Enter your Dropbox password.
7 – Choose whether you would prefer to receive your security code via text message or mobile app. After you make your choice and follow the prompts you see next you’ll be finished.
That’s all there is to it! From now on you’ll need to enter the verification code that’s “texted” to your phone or generated by the mobile app each time you try to log in to your Dropbox account.
If you (or more importantly, a hacker) don’t successfully enter the correct code you won’t be allowed to sign in even if the password was correct. This ensures that a hacker would need physical access to your phone in order to break into your account.
If you haven’t done so already, I also recommend enabling two-factor authentication on your other online accounts. You’ll find instructions for doing that for several of the most popular websites at the following links:
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