What is two-step verification? (and why your store login needs it)
Two-step verification asks for a second code after your password, so a stolen password alone cannot get into your accounts, and here is where small sellers should turn it on.
The idea
Normally you log in with one thing you know: a password. Two-step verification adds a second step, usually a short code sent to your phone or shown in an app. To get in, someone needs both the password and the code.
It is like a shop with a shutter and a padlock. A thief who copies one key still cannot open the second lock.
A story about a stolen password
Say Rohit runs a small clothing store. He used the same password for his email, his Instagram and a gaming site. The gaming site was hacked, and the password leaked. Someone tries it on his email, and it works, because there is no second step.
Once inside his email, the attacker can reset the password for almost everything else, like Instagram and his payment accounts. One reused password put everything at risk.
If two-step verification had been on, the attacker would have needed Rohit's phone too. The stolen password alone would not have worked.
Where to switch it on first
Order of importance for a seller:
- Your email account, because it unlocks resets for everything else.
- Your phone number account and app store account.
- Instagram and WhatsApp Business.
- Your domain registrar, since whoever controls the domain controls your web address.
- Your bank and payment dashboards.
Each service has its own setting, normally under security or privacy, so look for those words.
Types of second step
- A code by SMS. Easy but depends on your phone number staying in your control.
- A code in an authenticator app on your phone. Often considered stronger than SMS, though you should check each service's advice.
- A tap on a prompt on a device you already trust.
Whichever you pick, save any backup codes in a safe place, such as written on paper at home. If you lose your phone and have no backup, you can lock yourself out.
What about your Varchas admin login?
I looked through the Varchas code and could not find a second-step feature for the admin login, so I am not going to claim it has one. What I can say is that the admin uses a password with a minimum length, and that a password reset invalidates older logged-in sessions, which is the reason to reset immediately if you ever suspect trouble. So here, a strong, unique password does the heavy lifting, and what makes a strong password for your store admin is worth reading next.
Habits that go with it
- Never read your code aloud to someone who calls you, even if they say they are from the bank, a courier or a platform. Real services do not ask for it.
- Keep your phone locked with a screen lock.
- Tell the one person who helps with your business that they must not share codes either.
- Remove old devices and sessions you no longer use.
Where to start
Today, open your email settings and switch on two-step verification. It takes a few minutes. Next, do your domain registrar and Instagram. Then, once a quarter, check where your backup codes are. For the phishing side of this, see what phishing is and how sellers get tricked.