Google Cloud will make multi-factor authentication mandatory for all users starting in 2025

Google Cloud will soon make multi-factor authentication (MFA) mandatory for all users, the platform’s vice president of engineering announced Tuesday. The company says this decision was made in an effort to strengthen the security of the cloud platform without affecting the convenient online experience it offers. Its deployment will begin in a phased approach, and businesses and users will receive notification from Google Cloud before the mandatory MFA rollout.

MFA required on Google Cloud

In a blog jobMayank Upadhyay, vice president of engineering at Google Cloud, announced that the platform will make MFA mandatory for all users who currently use a password as the only means of authentication during login. Currently, 70% of Cloud users already benefit from additional features. MFA authentication, the company says. This measure will be implemented worldwide for businesses as well as individual users in a phased approach from 2025.

To enable MFA for Google account, users must:

1. Access security settings by going to the security.google.com website.
2. Select 2-step verification under the How to sign in to Google tongue.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions, such as adding a phone number, to complete the process.

   Gradual deployment of MFA by Google Cloud
   Photo credit: Google

The first phase of its rollout plan will begin this month and will encourage adoption of MFA by providing helpful reminders and more information about the technology in Cloud Console. It will also provide resources for planning and a smooth transition to MFA. From early 2025, phase two will begin and MFA for new and existing Google Cloud users will become mandatory. Users will need to sign up for MFA to use platforms like Google Cloud Console, Firebase Console, and gCloud.

The third phase of the rollout will begin by the end of 2025 and the use of MFA will become mandatory for those using federated authentication when connecting to Google Cloud. They will benefit from flexible options for signing in, such as enabling MFA with the primary identity provider or using it directly through the Google account.