Elon Musk recently revealed that Tesla owners will soon get to enjoy all the security benefits associated with two-factor authentication. Musk apologized for the “embarrassingly late” announcement before confirming that the authentication process was on its way. This comes after a delay last year, which seemed to have been the result of technical difficulties with implementing the feature.
Tesla released its first car in 2008 -- an electric car known as the Tesla Roadster. That same year, Musk became CEO. In 2012, Tesla released the Model S, and introduced Superchargers, which were charging stations that gave Tesla owners the opportunity to charge their vehicle faster than they could with a wall outlet. In 2015, reflecting a change in focus, Tesla announced a new line of solar products for the home. Most recently, Tesla opened pre-orders for the CyberTruck, with a release date currently set for late 2021.
Via Twitter, Musk explained that Tesla customers can look forward to having a two-factor authentication feature sometime soon. Two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA, is a security measure where a user proves their identification in two different ways: through a password, and again through an additional step like a passcode or fingerprint scan. Though Musk didn’t say specifically when, he did say the process was in “final validation,” suggesting the wait should not be too much longer. As is typically the case, the authentication can be granted through an SMS -- where the company in question sends the user a code via text message -- or by using an authenticator app. Apps like the Google Authenticator app generate one of those text message codes for users to type in themselves.
Why 2FA Is A Really Good Thing For Tesla
Tesla owners currently have an app that basically works as their key for the car, allowing them to lock and unlock the doors, while also allowing them to check on its charging time, to locate the car and more. With all this in mind, it’s crucial that the app is secure, since it offers so much control over the vehicle. Customers have to know they can rely on Tesla to keep their information and their cars safe. While 2FA might be annoying to deal with at times, it’s a security measure meant to ensure consumers can rely on whatever product is being so heavily guarded, whether its a car or an email address. Any added protection, particularly for a product that is still almost $50,000, dollars even with a $3,000 price drop, can only be considered a good thing.
Security concerns have been in the news a lot lately, from a Zoom bug that allowed hackers to break into private meetings, to TikTok deemed a national security risk by the Trump administration. While the general public might have grown tired of hearing about these risks, Tesla customers will likely welcome the two-factor authentication news. With more private information being stored on phones, whether it’s the password to a work email or the login info for Instagram, one more layer of security is incredibly important. Hopefully Tesla will release an official statement on this soon, letting customers know exactly when they can expect two-factor authentication support to go live.
Source: Elon Musk/Twitter