In these days where you won’t go a week without hearing of a hacking incident that caused awful information leaks, Google is pushing a higher level of information security for the “high-risk” user who needs it. This is called Google Advanced Security, and it builds on the company’s current 2-factor authentication, plus a whole lot more.
Google Advanced Security is designed for people who might be real targets of hackers because of the kind of information they are privy to. So building on 2-factor authentication, this type of security will ask the user in question to use a USB security key with robust public key cryptography for him/her to gain access to his Google account.
Because of the limitations of the secure account – and how easy it is for a malicious app to steal your data – Gmail and Google Drive access for a person using Advanced Security will be strictly limited to Google apps only. If you use an Apple device and you want Google Advanced Security, you will have to switch to Gmail, Google Contacts, and Google Calendar, because the iOS apps will not be able to access Google apps under this service.
Think of “high risk” persons as people working as “campaign staffers preparing for an upcoming election, journalists who need to protect the confidentiality of their sources, or people in abusive relationships seeking safety.” However, normal consumers will also have access to Advanced Security, if they are willing to go through the more stringent system (extra review, other challenges).
VIA: SlashGear
