Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that the company was ’embarrassingly late’ in launching the security layer known as two-factor authentication for its mobile application. “Sorry, this is truly embarrassingly late. The two-factor authentication through SMS or the authenticator app is going through its final validation right now,” Musk recently stated in response to a Twitter follower’s question.
In April, Musk said that the additional upgraded security layer was “coming soon” for people. He first mentioned the two-factor authentication by Tesla way back in May 2019. Tesla owners have so far stepped up their calls and devices for the two-factor authentication as the rest of the tech community also adopted the security feature.
Tesla app
The two-factor authentication or the two-step verification method combines additional information about a user. This method is a way to verify that the real account holder is the one logging in on the devices and not a fake hacker. Some websites do this by sending the user code through text messages. However, hackers can easily intercept this method. A more secure way of doing this is by sending a code through the phone app. This is called the authenticator and is most preferred by security experts.
It has become crucial for Tesla to strengthen the security of the Tesla mobile app. The Tesla app is a crucial tool for owners, giving them access and control over several functions on their vehicles. When the Bluetooth feature is enabled, the Tesla app allows the drivers to use their phones as a car key to Tesla’s newer vehicle models. The app also lets the driver remotely lock and unlock the doors, trunk, turn on the HVAC system, monitor, and control charging features. They can also locate the vehicle and schedule service with the app itself.
The two-factor authentication method is standard and widely used to stop hackers from using stolen passwords or attempt to break into users’ accounts. According to Elon Musk, the final validation was for the SMS “or” authenticator app. This is a statement by the CEO that leaves the critical questions unanswered.
Tesla Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication or two-step verification process is an extra security layer used to prevent hackers from accessing a user’s accounts and make sure the accounts are accessed only by their real owners and not hackers. In this process, a user will have to provide their username and password. After that, instead of giving them immediate access, the verification process will ask them for another piece of information. This information can be anything from the below-given categories:
- Something they know: The known part can be a personal identification number (PIN), a password, a keystroke pattern, or answers to “secret questions.”
- Something they have: For this, a user would possess something with them, like a credit card, smartphone, or a small hardware token
- Something they are: This is an advanced category where the user may have to give a biometric pattern of a fingerprint, an iris scan, or a voiceprint.
With the two-factor authentication process, a compromise of one of these factors won’t unlock the user account. Henceforth, even if the user password is stolen or the device gets lost, the chances of a hacker accessing the account through the second-factor information are highly unlikely. If a user makes good use of the two-factor authentication process correctly, websites and apps can be more confident about the user’s identity and easily unlock it.
