Post ASoPyvDPw4aqJAIHfU by infinite_loopy@noc.social
(DIR) More posts by infinite_loopy@noc.social
(DIR) Post #ASoIk6gKK4OxqanwsC by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-02-18T17:06:39Z
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I will also point out that while most people now understand SMS, and SMS is available on virtually every mobile phone, there are still vast numbers of people who don't have smartphones (and so can't use auth codes), and don't have a clue about security keys. People have been trained to view SMS as the "universal" 2-factor, like it or not.
(DIR) Post #ASoIwZ0YpdIPAuD0am by iainnash@infosec.exchange
2023-02-18T17:09:03Z
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@lauren to be fair, it is probably the most interoperable means of delivering a second factor, with voice (actual call) a close second. I can't think any other means (apart from voice) which could be considered as truly universal.
(DIR) Post #ASoPyvDPw4aqJAIHfU by infinite_loopy@noc.social
2023-02-18T18:27:36Z
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@lauren Count my father as one of those "don't have smartphones" people, who also stubbornly refuses to receive anything resembling a text message to his device. Maybe one day I'll convince him otherwise, but probably not....
(DIR) Post #ASobL2XiTKrqtsXPdo by Ex_Jersey_Boy@masto.ai
2023-02-18T20:34:57Z
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@lauren This is a good point, as SMS 2-factor is so much better than a single factor, but I wonder what percentage of Twitter users don’t have a smart phone?
(DIR) Post #ASobijutNLGC59gADI by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-02-18T20:39:29Z
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@Ex_Jersey_Boy I know at least a dozen personally, offhand. There's a whole class of Twitter users who depend on it for communications but are not techies. And they're the same group the tech bros regularly ridicule and dump on. And I can't blame many of them for their disdain of modern smartphones that are far too complex for simple tasks and can't compete for emergency communications with a basic mobile phone with standby times of a week or more on one charge.
(DIR) Post #ASocW0M72nfRFxu1dw by Ex_Jersey_Boy@masto.ai
2023-02-18T20:48:10Z
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@lauren Gotcha — thanks for explaining. My Dad falls into the description in the 2nd half of your toot (wants his phone to be a phone, and is frustrated by all the stuff on there he doesn’t want), but he is never going to be tempted by Twitter, and I think that colored my viewpoint.
(DIR) Post #ASocZPqCkM6vAObXLE by cazabon@mindly.social
2023-02-18T20:48:41Z
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@lauren I get bitten by this a lot. I've lost count of the number of services I've tried to sign up for online, but after I get past the email/password/personal info parts, I get an un-skippable "enter your mobile number" screen.I don't have one. My only phone is a landline. Most of the time, entering a landline number on these screens results in an error. I simply cannot complete signup.#NotALudditeHonest
(DIR) Post #ASoczDRNTQwYEjIImO by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-02-18T20:53:39Z
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@cazabon An even bigger problem is that if you provide a landline number many services will attempt to send texts to it and assume you receive them -- there is no way for them to know that they didn't go through.That said, given the demise of payphones, I would very, very strongly recommend getting at least a cheap non-smartphone for emergency use. Also, when landlines go out these days (bad weather, etc.) it can take a month or more to get them fixed in some areas.
(DIR) Post #ASoeJ5r5U9ZySOMVZw by cazabon@mindly.social
2023-02-18T21:08:20Z
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@lauren Agreed about them accidentally accepting landlines. And when I was writing services that used 3rd-party SMS-sending services, there was actually a way to determine if the number was SMS-capable - but it was extra work to use, so I'm not surprised no one actually does.Landline infrastructure here (Canadian prairies) is generally still good. Mine now is VOIP over a fibre to a box in the basement, and then twisted copper to the phone outlets in the house.