On Mon, Jan 15, 2024 at 2:46 PM Alvin Starr via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
On 2024-01-15 13:53, o1bigtenor via talk wrote: [snip]
FWIW, much of my most important supplemental authentication -- including a number of government accounts -- is done through an authenticator app which does not rely on SMS.
Well some authenticator apps may only run on phones but not all of them. a number have standalone workstation versions.
Had not heard of such to date - - - thank you.
So there is no need for a cell phone at all.
Of course if you have lost control of your workstation or your phone then your authenticator app is compromised.
Of course!
Hmmmmmm - - - you're still using a stupid phone - - - - - lets say your stupid phone service died and you would not be able to replace said service for 60 days - - - what would you do then?
Use your workstation.
It doesn't seem like you're getting the extent of the issue - - - you're offerring solutions that just don't work if one doesn't have access to cellphone service.
The solutions work but it may require a slight compromise on your end.
Compromise being?
I have one - - - use it when I go into town - - - - otherwise - - - imo - - - - its a stupidly expensive (and quite useless here) communication device - - - - and not much else.
Where do you live that the service is so bad?
In rural Canada (more accurately in rural Manitoba) - - - that this is surprising is actually quite astounding to me. Service is this bad in significant amounts of rural Canada. So bad in fact that emergency responders (flooding/forest fires) have refused to assist in certain areas. "The safety of their personnel would be compromised was the response." Not much concern for those living there. Lived in one are where you had to drive some 30 odd km to get to the closest point where you just might get a cell phone signal - - - that's when its really bad. Here I could walk north of the yard a couple hundred meters and I would get a poor signal - - - still tough to use with my desktop - - - yes? Thanks for the info! Regards