this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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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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[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Yeah, they just want your phone number.

It's against our company policy to let users do 2FA over SMS. Only secure options are allowed.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, this is something many people seem to not understand.

SMS is not secure. The best option is something with FIDO2 or similar.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

TOTP is fine. The point is that the OTP shouldn't be sent to you. It should be generated on both sides independently.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Yes Facebook is using your 2FA phone number to target you with ads (from 2018, back when phones were still sometimes used for 2FA)

[–] prole 3 points 1 year ago

Just another example of capitalism making us all less safe.