It’s no secret that spammers and phishers are looking for ways to trick you into responding to malicious email or hyperlinks to get your login credentials. On a daily basis, OIT assists users whose Google Apps @ NC State accounts have been compromised.

Unfortunately, spammers and phishers are getting more sophisticated in their attacks, so stay vigilant and verify links in email. As an additional defense, you should enable 2-Step Verification on your email account.

2-Step Verification, also known as 2 Factor Authentication, adds an additional layer of security when you sign in to your email account. Once you activate this security measure, you will be required to log in with your password and an additional security code that is delivered to your mobile device via text, voice call or mobile app. This security code is provided to you when you log in to your Google account from a device, application, or browser you haven’t previously used. (That is, you don’t necessarily have to enter this code every time.)

Visit 2-Step Verification for more information on how to set up and use this security measure. If you already have it set up for your personal account, don’t worry. You can use 2-Step Verification for more than one account on your mobile device.