Unlike Google Authenticator, Protectimus<\/a> is a complex, complete two-factor authentication solution<\/strong>. After integrating it with your system, your employees’ and users’ accounts will be protected from unauthorized access, once and for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we get questions asking us to compare two-factor authentication solutions by Protectimus and Google Authenticator, we understand that the client is planning to develop a server component on their own, but they still aren’t sure. That\u2019s why in this article we\u2019ll also discuss the advantages of developing a 2FA server component independently, as well as the difficulties that it inevitably leads to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Table of contents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The foundation of all 2-factor authentication solutions is the MFA server. The server component is the part of the two-factor authentication system that verifies one-time passwords submitted by users in order to grant or deny access to a resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides verifying OTPs, the server component may support additional data protection functionality. For example, the Protectimus two-factor authentication service makes it possible to restrict access based on a user’s geographical location, the time of the login attempt, and the user’s IP address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second component that any two-factor authentication solution needs is MFA tokens (authenticators). These are devices that generate one-time passwords<\/a>. Users need to keep these devices on hand in order to generate or receive codes when they log into their accounts. Authenticators come in all shapes and sizes (hardware, software, SMS, email, messaging service chatbots). One possible option is the Google Authenticator app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can find out more about how HOTP, TOTP, and OCRA one-time passwords are generated and verified in this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Authenticator is one kind of MFA token: an app for generating one-time passwords<\/a> based on the TOTP and HOTP algorithms. It’s available for free on Android and iOS. This is one of the components required for a two-factor authentication system, but it isn’t a complete system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our OTP tokens are one-time code generators like Google Authenticator, they’re only one part of a solution for two-factor authentication, as a server that can verify the generated OTP codes is also required. By the way, we do support Google Authenticator, so you can use it with our 2FA service instead of using physical tokens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also have our own, more advanced counterpart: the software authenticator Protectimus Smart OTP<\/a>. To give you the whole picture: we also support other companies’ OTP tokens that adhere to the OATH standards, and we can send one-time codes via SMS, email, or messaging service chatbots on Telegram, Viber, and Messenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n | Read also:<\/span> The Pros and Cons of Different Two-Factor Authentication Types and Methods<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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How the two-factor authentication solutions are built<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.protectimus.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/how-2fa-works.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat is Google Authenticator<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n