Google Apps is going to enable two-factor authentication without prompting

Google is going to enable two-factor authentication for all users on Apps domains. If a suspicious login attempt is detected, users will receive a code on their mobile that they must type as verification.

The new functionality will be rolled out to all Apps domains in the coming weeks, Google has indicated, according to Cnet. Google Apps is the business service of the Mountain View company that allows companies and other institutions to offer users access to Google services such as Gmail and Drive under their own domain name.

By default, Google already offers users the option to enable two-factor authentication, which requires users to enter a verification code with each new login session. For example, it can be generated by a mobile application or sent via SMS. The mandatory two-factor authentication, on the other hand, only takes effect if a suspicious login attempt is detected. The user will then receive a verification code by SMS which he must type.

If users don’t have a phone with them or are out of range, they won’t be able to log in. In that case, they must ask an administrator to disable the login challenge, according to a page with information that Google has put online. It can only be switched off temporarily. It is not known whether ‘normal’ Google accounts will also be provided with mandatory two-step authentication in the long term.