Following Nest’s and Ring’s leads, the smart-home security camera companies Arlo and Blink announced they are making two-factor authentication (2FA) mandatory for all users by the end of 2020.
It’s a smart move; we’ve seen cloud-based security systems exploited by hackers or compromised due to poor security policies a lot lately, and forcing users to use 2FA when they log in is a decent way of tightening up security. Neither company is enforcing 2FA just yet, but there are steps owners of these devices can take to ensure their accounts are ready.
Blink will ask users to verify their email addresses starting March 30th and will notify you once 2FA is available later this year. Arlo users, on the other hand, can opt in to the company’s 2FA service right now—and you should. But there’s one technicality: Arlo’s 2Fa is technically two-step authentication, since Arlo only supports login verification via text messages, email, and push notifications for now. The company plans to expand to other, more-secure methods like authenticator apps and Bluetooth devices in the future.
How to turn on 2FA for Arlo devices on mobile:
- Open the Arlo app on your phone.
- Go to Settings > Profile > Login Settings > Two-Step Verification and tap the slider to enable the feature.
- Choose the verification method you wish to use: push notifications, emails, or text messages. (Note that only the mobile app supports push notifications.)
On desktop:
- Go to my.arlo.com
- Login with your Arlo account.
- Go to Settings > Profile > Two-Step Verification and click the slider to enable.
- Click “Add SMS Verification” and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also use your email address.
If you run into any issues, be sure to consult Arlo’s support page for turning on and using two-step verification. It’s also worth brushing up on some general best practices for cloud camera privacy, while you’re at it.
