[deleted]
Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
21–30 of 299 posts
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#22How did Verizon move his services to an iPhone 4? Does it mean the attacker had physical access to his phone?
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#23Adding a phone number that people KNOW about can make it LESS secure. A workaround is to get a phone number that is only used for identity verification and not given out to anyone.
One way to accomplish this would be with, ironically, a Google Voice-type service (but associated with a completely independent email provider)
This can actually be problematic. I've found many 2FA services use text services with shortcodes which sometimes do and sometimes don't work with services like Google Voice. Back when I used Voice, my actual cell number was only used for identity verification.
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
When is the last time you tried? I have created a gmail account couple of weeks back without providing phone number and recovery email.
I did it. Then they banned it. Having my phone number or any other hard identifier is none of Googles business.
I did it recently, and burned myself, because I forgot my password and had no way of recovering the account. As far as I know, my account isn't banned, though.
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#25This doesn't even take into account how inherently insecure are actual mobile networks. Human factor notwithstanding.
Using GSM? Your recovery code is sent essentially plaintext over the air.
Think you're not using GSM? I'll just follow you around until you are (say, if you go out of town).
Since I'm already following you around, maybe I'll just jam your 3G/4G for a minute. Save us the waiting around.
Disabling 2G on your phone is a shitty solution. I want to be able to receive calls/SMS even if it's insecure.
TL;DR:
My account -> Sign-in and security -> Signing in to google -> Account recovery options -> Recovery phone -> Remove number
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#26> I'm curious [...] why Google doesn’t temporarily disable accounts so impacted until a human reviews activity. Because Google doesn't have humans reviewing anything unless there's a direct link to marginal revenue/cost avoidance attached to that interaction that can be priced in. Their business model is to achieve scale through automation and machine learning; which means not doing things that would require manual i…
This is why last weekend I moved to FastMail. I've filed two support tickets since, and both were responded to in an hour or two. For the trivial cost of half a Netflix subscription, the most vital thing I have on the Internet is supported by real people. It's hard to justify Gmail these days other than the frustration of migrating off of it. As a side perk, Australia has no equivalent to a National Security Letter,…
> This is why last weekend I moved to FastMail. I've filed two support tickets since, and both were responded to in an hour or two.
Can absolutely confirm that.
However, there's place for both Gmail and FastMail. Just know what you pay and what you're entitled to get for that price.
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#27What are the security implications of using my google voice number as a backup phone number to my google account (the same account)? I've been doing this for a few years, and its been very convenient. Basically, any time I need to log in with a new browser or device, using the number for two factor SMS gives me codes on all other logged in gmail windows, and on my phone.
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#28> I'm curious [...] why Google doesn’t temporarily disable accounts so impacted until a human reviews activity. Because Google doesn't have humans reviewing anything unless there's a direct link to marginal revenue/cost avoidance attached to that interaction that can be priced in. Their business model is to achieve scale through automation and machine learning; which means not doing things that would require manual i…
> Because Google doesn't have humans reviewing anything unless there's a direct link to marginal revenue/cost avoidance attached to that interaction that can be priced in.
Google would obviously start losing money though if people perceived Gmail as easy to hack.
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#29I don't think it's possible to make a Google account without a phone number anymore. It's really unfortunate, especially because I deliberately don't set up fallback contacts for my "alternate" gmail accounts, and Google keeps locking them as suspicious when I log in from a second location, and I need to "verify" with a phone number any time that happens (at which point I abandon the account). I understand that they…
I've several children, and can no longer make Google accounts for their Chromebooks. All the phone numbers I have and control can no longer be used to register further accounts.
What happens to users that buy a new Android cell phone who's number has been burned by Google?
Re: Adding a phone number to your Google account can make it less secure
#30Kind of related, but any Googlers here? Can you please make Google send notifications whenever someone tries to log in to an account and is required to do anything other than typing in their username/password? I REALLY should know when someone is trying to respond to a 2FA prompt or answer my security questions or use SMS or email to reset my password... it's ridiculous that these don't all result in emails right now.