2FA

Back in the early to mid 2010’s I had had my ID stolen. Someone opened a credit card in my name and maxed it out after reporting it closing it and trying to get things closed and protected; I did what everyone should do I got a password manager and went to change all my passwords, then I did what no one should do I got a five year credit lock put on my name. Credit locks do nothing other than make your life harder, once your ID is stolen and you find out the hacker or whomever has already moved on. Maybe the credit lock stops your information from being sold but to someone else but it only really messes you the victim up.

I used LastPass up until a few years ago when something happened to my master password, it was before the breach. Maybe I was patient zero for the breach? I kid; there will be other safe guards, at least I hope, in place that broke LastPass. Luckily Apple had their password manager in place by the time I needed a new one. Looking back I am amazed to find out how easy it was to hit forgot password then have it changed, now that I use a randomized email I see how easy it would be to go in change the password and email and it’s scary!

In 20*0 I got scared my ID had been stolen again, don’t know why I thought this just that I did. Probably 20*0’s anxiety but who’s to tell? I went into reclaiming my data mode and found things like saymineapp.com and have found so many things clogging up my gmail; so I unsubscribe to almost everything, things I needed I resigned up for using an address from Apple’s hidemy random email generator.

Looking at security I set up a pihole system at my place to block ads, but more importantly trackers. I have a VPN on my phone for when I leave my LAN that attempts to do the same as my pihole. So I felt safe; until I recently remembered how easy it was to get into my accounts, change passwords, but more importantly to change emails. So I am now going about adding 2FA to more things. I had already had a few things setup with Google Authenticator but I was wanting to get away from Google properties as much as possible, so I started using Authy in place of Google Authenticator, I mentioned this on a Reddit privacy forum and got a blast for trading in Google Authenticator for another closed source service. Instead of arguing I took it all in and was directed to Raivo, an open source app that stores my data locally or online via iCloud.

I have been slowly moving things over to 2FA; knowing how trivial it is to high Jack a phone number I don’t do phone or text 2FA knowing that email is really insecure being plain text and all I hate it. My financial institution doesn’t currently offer 2FA via any other means. So I emailed my bank and was told in a more professional manner that they are working on it and it will be offered when it is offered, don’t contact us again about it!

I am considering writing letters to MPs, Trudeau, and other federal agencies to get the ball rolling a little faster than “When we get around to it.”