Security issues have long plagued the Sony Playstation Network and it finally looks like the company is taking some much-needed steps to fight those security issues off. Sony told Polygon on Wednesday it had plans in the works to bring two-factor authentication to the service, though the firm stopped short of saying just when people could expect this addition.
“To further safeguard our users and their accounts, we are preparing to offer a 2-step verification feature,” a Sony representative told the website. It appears this addition could be coming rather soon indeed, if we can trust what users have seen in the most recent PS3 update. Those who put in the wrong sign in information after their PS3’s installed the newest system update saw mention of two-factor authentication.
Two-factor authentication means that users will have to enter two pieces of information to log in for the first time. The first piece of info is usually something you “know” such as your email and password. The second factor is something that isn’t made known to you until you complete a step. Usually, this is a code that will either be texted to your phone. You will then input the code that is texted, and this proves you are the owner of the account and the device the code was sent to.
The addition of a second factor doesn’t mean it’s impossible for someone else to crack your PlayStation Network account, but it’s certainly quite a bit harder than it is without it. Sony is behind the times a bit when it comes to this service addition, considering Microsoft brought two-factor authentication to Xbox Live more than three years ago.