8 ms·

For my own knowledge, if the options were between using SMS for 2FA or not having 2FA at all then what is better? I've heard mixed things about this.

• mtremsal 3y ago
  SMS 2FA is better than no MFA at all, despite the very valid concerns about SMS. It at least protects against credential stuffing and similar automated attacks.
  • wyldfire 3y ago
    I guess I've always cynically assumed that companies want my phone number to make the data they gather more valuable by making it easier to link with a unique index like a phone number.
    • rezonant 3y ago
      Two things can be true at the same time.
• rezonant 3y ago
  Well a simswap attack requires the account password, since otherwise you would not be able to receive an SMS message for the two factor part. But without two factor, only your account credentials are needed. So yeah, it's definitely better than nothing, you are effectively forcing your opponent to social engineer your carrier, and doing that generally requires knowing the full number and usually at least your name, if not more identifying information that's harder to get, like social security number or equivalent. Sure, TOTP or other two factor mechanisms are better because they require access to one of your authenticated devices (assuming the TOTP isn't done by a secure enclave), but SMS two factor is definitely better than disabling two factor.