If you haven't noticed by now, I am a Google fanboy. I'm not ashamed of that; I openly admit it. Yet, in those moments when I think about it closely, it is amazingly scary the amount of information Google knows about me and the extent to which I trust Google.
It keeps track of some of my passwords via Chrome. Google's Android OS runs my phone and is synced with my Google account. My email, my documents, and who knows how much else are all with Google in one way or another it seems.
To put it mildly, if my Google account were hacked, the amount of damage that could be done is downright scary. I imagine this is the case for nearly anyone with a Gmail account or using any of Google's apps or who has an Android phone.
With that amount of exposure possible, I think it makes sense to use Google's 2-step verification. Basically, to access my Google account on a non-trusted device (think trying to access it at the public library), not only will I have to put in my Google password, but then I will get a text message on my phone with a verification code.
Unless someone has both my password and my phone, they will be unable to get into my account. Moreover, if someone does guess my Google password, I'll get the text message and know that someone's trying to get into my account.
Yeah, it might be some initial work setting up and a bit of a pain when trying to access your account in new locations, but the peace of mind that comes with the increased security is more than worth it.
You can set up 2-Step verification for your Google account here.
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