Google is preparing to upgrade its security tools for online accounts to better insulate users from cyberattacks and politically motivated hacks, according to two people familiar with the company’s plan.
The Alphabet Inc. company next month will begin offering a service called the Advanced Protection Program that places a collection of features onto accounts such as email, including a new block on third-party applications from accessing data. The program would effectively replace the need to use two-factor authentication to protect accounts with a pair of physical security keys.
Google released software in 2014 for a USB Security Key, a device designed to improve existing security measures, like two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication involves using a second code or password, for example, to log onto email.
When plugged into computers, the key lets users create more robust security measures for accounts on Gmail and other Google sites. The new service will continue to require a physical USB key in addition to a second physical key for greater protection.
