Just realized 2FA text messages aren't as safe as I thought

I used to think two-factor authentication via SMS was the gold standard. But after reading about the 2023 SIM swap attacks that hit people in Austin, I started looking into it. Turns out a determined hacker can trick your phone carrier pretty easily. Has anyone else moved to an authenticator app and noticed a difference?

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ruby49429d ago

Wait, you're telling me it only takes a "determined hacker" to trick the carrier? That's wild. I always thought those SIM swap attacks were some kind of rare, high-level thing that only happened to like celebrities or huge crypto guys. I've been getting those SMS codes for years and never once thought the phone company could just hand over my number like that. Makes me feel pretty stupid for relying on it so much. I switched to an authenticator app last month and honestly, it was way easier to set up than I expected. Just feels safer knowing the code lives on my phone instead of floating around with my carrier.