Data Leak Pushes Samsung Toward Two-Factor Authentication

Samsung has activated two-factor authentication after a data leak showed strangers’ private information, according to reports.

The initiative starts this week, after a glitch caused about 150 users to see private account data that included phone numbers, names and addresses of people they didn’t know.

Samsung hasn’t officially said that the data leak is the reason for the security. An update to the Samsung account app shows where Samsung is making the change “mandatory” for all of its users. 

Two-factor authentication is not new for Samsung, as its been an option for a while, and many can choose it when they’re setting up their device at the start. Two-factor authentication involves using SMS (short message service) to prove a person’s identity and sign into accounts.

Samsung is not forcing people to log onto their accounts, however. When someone logs out of their Samsung account, the new security will activate upon logging back in. It’s not known how long Samsung has been operating this policy.

In other Samsung news, the company recently announced that with its new Galaxy S20 phones, it’s giving customers 5G devices even if they don’t use the feature. The phone is also $250 more expensive than the Galaxy S10, which was released last year.

The Galaxy Z flip is the only phone the company is releasing without 5G. The new technology heightens coverage, speed and the responsiveness of wireless networks. 

Some reports say that that phones are 10 to 100 times faster than a regular cell connection, and it’s the biggest leap forward since 4G was introduced, about a decade ago.

One report by Counterpoint Research said that 5G phones only made up about 1 percent of total market share last year, which is estimated to rise to 18 percent this year.

“We feel like this is the year that 5G is going to go mainstream. 5G is going to give consumers a reason to upgrade,” said Samsung Electronics America Head of Product Management and Marketing Suzanne De Silva.