However, from today that all changes, as the retail giant has quietly introduced the option to set up two-factor authentication on your Amazon account.
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With Black Friday just around the corner, it might be worth the trouble configuring two-step verification to make sure strangers don’t use your account to grab hot holiday deals.
Visit the Amazon Account Settings page again (as described above). Click the Get Started button.
On the Change Account Settings page, click the Edit button for Advanced Security Settings.
Apple’s iCloud, Snapchat, Evernote, and practically every other website or app you can think of have long offered safety measures like two-step verification.
If you don’t have your smartphone, you can also use a free authenticator app i.e. Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authentication.
The very next page will give you two options for how you’ll receive codes – either via text message on your smartphone or by downloading an Amazon authenticator app for occasions when you don’t have any mobile service.
The way that the code is served depends on the user, who can choose to get the extra prompt in one of three ways.
“Afterward, that computer or device will only ask for your password when you sign in”, explained the Amazon introduction, helpfully. Scroll to the bottom of the page and there you might want to check the box Don’t require codes on this device. With this activated, logging into a site requires the use of both a password, and a code sent to your mobile phone.
After that you will be able to begin the process of enabling two-factor authentication on your account. If you want to use it on Amazon.co.uk, for example, you’re out of luck, but the company will likely roll out the feature globally in due course.
You’ll have to go through a few different steps before you can turn the feature on, but once you do, your account will ostensibly be more secure. At the time of this writing, it appears it’s only available for in the US.
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We can’t say this enough, but add 2FA to all of your online accounts that support it. You might find it a little inconvenient at first, but remember – Convenience is the enemy of security. Hopefully, the company is staggering it out, and it will be available in all countries soon.
