How many of you got caught up in the great World of Warcraft mega-account-hackathon back when Blizzard forced us to change our unique usernames to our e-mail addresses? That madness prompted Blizzard to pioneer two-factor authentication in the game industry. It was a great idea, and I know I rest more securely knowing that I’ve got control over who logs into my Steam and MMORPG accounts.
Nowadays those clunky old physical authenticators are mostly gone, replaced by smartphone apps. The one thing that remains, however, is the need to type in a stupid code. And you’d better do it quick, before it expires. I can’t count the number of times I’ve started logging into Final Fantasy XIV , only to remember that my tablet is charging in the other room. That leads to a mad dash across the house, chanting 645-9082 like a crazy person.
Blizzard recognises that these codes are a pain and probably reduce the uptake of two-factor authentication. Last week it unveiled the One-Button Authenticator. Now, your iOS or Android Blizzard authenticator will approve your login attempt with a simple button press. No code entry required. This is a great idea! You know when you’re trying to log in, after all. What you’re trying to do with two-factor authentication is prevent other people from logging into your account without permission.
I really hope this idea gets picked up by other services that use two-factor authentication. Steam, I’m looking at you.
Source: Battle.net