The Skinny on the How and Why of Two Step Verification (example: Gmail)

Introduction

Two step verification is a security methodology that requires not only a user id and a password but some means of verifying you are who you are on the computer you are using.  Typically, this means that you have to receive a text message with a unique key of 6 to 8 characters every time you log on to a site and it isn't a computer that you have registered before.  To me, it is a sometimes difficult methodology to use, because part of it requires a different password for each application you use, called an application-specific password, but it does have the advantage of being pretty near fool proof:  your account will not be successfully hacked. 

The Sign Up Process

Google requires that you sign up for two step verification.  The signup page is:  https://www.google.com/landing/2step/ .  Click through all the help pages before you decide to do it.  It was helpful to me to watch this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMabEyrtPRg .  

The Confirmation Note

When you sign up, you will get a confirmation note that looks like this:

Hi xxxxxxx, Congratulations on enabling 2-Step Verification for xxxx@yyyy.com! We have a few suggestions to make sure you can always access your account. What if an app stops working Now that you have 2-Step Verification, you may have trouble accessing your account from some apps, such as: "Mail" on iPhone, iPad, or Mac; Chat clients (e.g., Adium). To get your apps working again, you'll need something called an application-specific password. Don't worry—we'll generate one for you, and you won't need to remember it. Get started now. Set up a backup phone If your primary phone is ever unavailable when you need a code, Google can send one to a backup, like your home or work phone or even a family member's phone. To set one up, Go to your 2-Step Verification settings page and sign in. Click on Add a phone number in the Backup phones section. Get backup codes If you don't have access to your primary or backup phones—such as when you're traveling—you can sign in with a backup code. You can keep them in your wallet or save them as a file on your computer. To get your backup codes, Go to the 2-Step Verification settings page. Click on Show/Generate codes. Learn more about 2-Step Verification and update your settings at any time. Sincerely, The Google Accounts team

Do you have any specific questions?