GitHub sets up two-layer security for its iOS, Android users

GitHub Mobile said it has introduced two-factor authentication for its iOS and Android users in a bid to provide secured access to the code hosting platform.

By two-factor authentication we mean a security system that requires two separate and distinct forms of identification to access something. The first factor is a password, while, the second is a code-based text sent to the users phone, or it could be a biometric that scans fingerprint, face, or retina.

Berk Veral, product marketing director at GitHub, said in a blogpost that this option sits alongside our existing channels — security keys and WebAuthn, one-time passcodes and SMS.

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“Today, we are announcing that you can use GitHub Mobile on iOS and Android as an easy-to-use two-factor authentication mechanism. GitHub Mobile provides a strong alternative to existing one-time passcode options offered by third-party applications and via SMS, with an experience that is fully baked into the GitHub services you already use,” Veral said.

The Californian-based Github, which is now under Microsoft’s stable, is widely used for hosting open-source projects and has close to 57,627,376 available users.