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Why Do Companies Not Use Existing 2FA Standards? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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This is something I am seeing more and more of. As companies start to either offer or require 2FA for accounts, they don't follow the common standards or even offer any sort of options. One thing that drives me nuts is when they don't offer TOTP as an option. It seems like many companies either use text messages to send a code or use some built in method of authorizing a sign in from a mobile device app.

What are your thoughts on why they want to take the time to maintain this extra feature in an app when you could have just implemented a TOTP method that probably can be imported as an existing library with much less effort?

Are they assuming that people are too dumb to understand TOTP? Are they wanting phone numbers from people? Is it to force people to install their apps?

*edit: I also really want to know what not at least give people the option to choose something like TOTP. They can still offer mobile app verification, SMS, email, carrier pigeon, etc for other options but at least give the user a choice of something besides an insecure method like SMS.

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[–] sugar_in_your_tea 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can actually import the Symantec key into your TOTP of choice, it just takes some extra effort. Or you can just buy a TOTP hardware key, which is what I ended up doing (throw it in the keychain and I'm set).

[–] Greenbubbleb0y 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I did do this. Took me forever cause there were no directions for how to do it on windows. I figured it out eventually. I'm also kinda worried whoever created it could see my totp secret key.

You can use hardware keys with fidelity? Like yubico?

[–] sugar_in_your_tea 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

No, there's a Symentec OTP fob that just generates tokens when you push a button. So something like this (I bought this one).

You'll need to replace it when the battery dies, but I like that it's not tied to my phone like the Symantec app is.

[–] Greenbubbleb0y 3 points 1 year ago

Oh. No thank you. I'm trying to stay away from symmantec.