HOTforSecurity
  • Home
  • Threats
    • Security alerts
    • Social Networks Security
    • Mobile & Gadgets Security
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Smart Home Security
  • Digital Privacy
    • Digital Identity
    • Good Practices
    • Data Breach Alerts
  • Work from Home: Safety Tips
  • The ABC of Cybersecurity
  • Security Videos
HOTforSecurity
  • Home
  • Threats
    • Security alerts
    • Social Networks Security
    • Mobile & Gadgets Security
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Smart Home Security
  • Digital Privacy
    • Digital Identity
    • Good Practices
    • Data Breach Alerts
  • Work from Home: Safety Tips
  • The ABC of Cybersecurity
  • Security Videos
HOTforSecurity
  • Home
  • Threats
    • Security alerts
    • Social Networks Security
    • Mobile & Gadgets Security
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Smart Home Security
  • Digital Privacy
    • Digital Identity
    • Good Practices
    • Data Breach Alerts
  • Work from Home: Safety Tips
  • The ABC of Cybersecurity
  • Security Videos
Graham CLULEY @gcluley
10 Comments
    Share This!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • ReddIt
Industry News

How to enable two-factor authentication on your Amazon account

November 18, 2015
2 Min Read
Photo credit: amazon.com

One of the internet’s biggest online stores, Amazon, appears to have finally started giving its users an additional way to protect their accounts.

According to The Verge, some Amazon users can now enable two-step authentication, providing an additional level of security over accounts.

The big advantage, of course, of enabling such a technology is that the verification code changes – meaning that even if a hacker manages to steal your Amazon password, they won’t be able to do anything with the account unless they also the latest verification code.

To enable the feature, log into your Amazon account, click on “Your Account” in the top right hand menu, and choose “Your Account”.

Now if you scroll down the page, you should find the Settings section, containing the option to Choose Account Settings, and then Advanced Security Settings.

account-settings

After you click on that, Amazon leads you through the process of setting up two-step authentication, with users having the option of receiving an SMS text message containing a verification code or using an app such as Google Authenticator on their smartphone.

authenticator

Unfortunately, when I tried to enable 2FA on my own Amazon account I was unable to find the necessary setting on Amazon.co.uk, so I have to assume that the company is staggering its roll-out, perhaps limiting the feature to certain territories at this point of time.

Although two-factor authentication may have been a long time coming for Amazon users, we shouldn’t begrudge its late arrival. At least it’s here now (or will, we trust, be available for users outside the United States shortly).

There is no doubt in my mind that technologies like two-factor authentication, whilst not perfect, can dramatically reduce the chances of users having their accounts compromised, and protect online shoppers from some of the phishing threats which are out there.

So, if you can, enable Amazon’s two-factor authentication today.

At the same time, why not take the opportunity to review whether you have chosen a strong, unique password for your Amazon account in the first place. If you’re still using the same dumb password that seemed cutesy to you in 2008, and that you went on to use on umpteen other sites – now is definitely the time to think again.

In order to discover whether your favourite websites have implemented two-factor authentication or not, visit twofactorauthor.org.

Tagsaccount security Amazon two-factor authentication

You may also like

Digital Privacy • Industry News

Two Dutch Public Health Workers Arrested for Selling Coronavirus Patient Information

20 mins ago
Industry News

Cybercriminals Impersonate UK’s National Health Service to Spread COVID-19 Vaccination Phishing Emails

1 day ago
Digital Identity • Digital Privacy • Industry News

Hacker Releases Dating Site Data Belonging to 2+ Million Users

1 day ago

About the author

View All Posts

Graham CLULEY

Graham Cluley is an award-winning security blogger, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by companies such as Sophos, McAfee and Dr Solomon's. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world's largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and regularly appears on TV and radio explaining computer security threats.

Graham Cluley was inducted into the InfoSecurity Europe Hall of Fame in 2011, and was given an honorary mention in the "10 Greatest Britons in IT History" for his contribution as a leading authority in internet security.

10 Comments

Click here to post a comment
  • Robert Larsen says:
    November 18, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    Hi Graham,

    I’ve been waiting for this for some time! While Amazon have had 2FA on AWS for some time, it’s great news that they’ve finally enabled it on their shopping accounts too.

    Like you, I was not initially able to find the 2FA settings on my amazon.co.uk account, but once I’d enabled it on my amazon.com, I found that it was also enabled on my UK account, and the setting is now there and visible on both.

    I remember many (10 or more?) years ago that the .com and .co.uk accounts were separate, but I believe the account details/settings have been merged/linked for some time.

    Cheers,
    Rob.

  • Sean Durrant says:
    November 18, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    Sadly this doesn’t yet seem available for me.

    I think this is crazy – Amazon needed to have done this a lot sooner for ALL users that wanted the option.

    Sean Durrant

  • Alan R. Parker says:
    November 19, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    I found that if I logged into the .co.uk site it had no advanced option. If I logged into .com, with my details from .co.uk,
    1) I got the advanced settings
    2) I could register the auth app (google auth app in my case)
    3) it is now visible when I log into .co.uk.

  • Chris says:
    November 19, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Thanks Graham, I was literally just wondering why major online retailers seem reluctant to adopt 2FA (nerdy thoughts)

  • Nick Ioannou says:
    November 19, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Thanks Graham, unfortunately I’m not one of the users Amazon has rolled this out to (yet). No ‘Advanced Security Settings’ as an option in my Change Account Settings.
    Regards
    Nick

  • JGJones says:
    November 19, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    You can enable it simply by going to amazon.com instead of amazon.co.uk – it’s the US site. Log in via that and then enable two-factor and it’ll work on the rest of Amazon sites including .co.uk.

    Hope that helps!

  • AC says:
    November 20, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    I’ve enabled it on amazon.com and can now find an option for amazon.co.uk via:
    Account Settings
    Change Name, E-mail Address, or Password
    Advanced Security Settings

    However, now it’s enabled, it does not ask for the 2fa at login! I’ve tried 3 machines on both websites…

  • ninveh says:
    November 21, 2015 at 12:59 am

    I wish that Amazon would have provided an option to use Yubikey’s FIDO U2F key. This is a more attractive 2FA to many people than SMS. Since Amazon carries the Yubikey products in its shop, it could have run an attractive promotion for the key – as Github did last month..

  • Matt says:
    November 23, 2015 at 12:56 am

    No such option for me on amazon.co.uk

  • Mike says:
    November 23, 2015 at 1:34 pm

    Does this article now required a warning?

    “So, if you can, enable Amazon’s two-factor authentication today” may be a dangerous suggestion, based on news that you have published since, relating to the potential back-door that might have been uncovered.

Security, interoperability seen as major problems of messaging apps
ISIS Help Desk Teaches Terrorists How to Use Encrypted Communication
    Share This!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • ReddIt

Promo

1.3m
Fans
Like
104.7k
Followers
Follow
2.7k
Subscribers
Subscribe
19
Subscribers
subscribe
1.4m
Fans Love us

Recent shouts

  • Meurig Parri on Microsoft Ends Support for Windows 7. What You Need to Know
  • Kevin on Cable Haunt vulnerability affects millions of Broadcom cable modems
  • Terry on Ransomware attack forces Arkansas CEO to fire 300 employees days before Christmas
  • Martin on 1&1 Telecom GmbH hit by almost €10 million GDPR fine over poor security at call centre
  • Xander on 1&1 Telecom GmbH hit by almost €10 million GDPR fine over poor security at call centre

Time Machine

January 2021
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Dec    

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE FOR HOME USERS

Bitdefender Cybersecurity for Smart Home
Bitdefender Complete Protection
Bitdefender PC Protection
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android
Bitdefender Product Comparison

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security
Bitdefender GravityZone Advanced Business Security
Bitdefender GravityZone Enterprise Security
Bitdefender Hypervisor Introspection

TOOLS & RESOURCES

Renewal for Business Customers
Trial Downloads
Free Antivirus
Free Online Virus Scanner
Free Virus Removal Tools
Live Remote Assistance
Free Tools
Bug Bounty
Press Center

Powered by Bitdefender - a leading cyber security technology provider | Copyright © 2008 - 2016. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • The Team
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok