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Authy User: From Defense Contractor to Cyber Defense

We love getting to know our users. And we love it even more when non-Authy users get to know us (that’s how they become Authy evangelists!). This is @boyddl’s story:

Authy: Let’s start with the basics.

Dustin: Hi. I’m Dustin Boyd from Colorado.

What do you do in Colorado besides enjoy the great outdoors?

For 6 years I was a Systems Analyst at a large Fortune 100 defense contractor, Lockheed Martin. Currently, I am a Cloud Consultant in the North American Public Sector for Red Hat. Been consulting for 8 months now.

Have you always been interested in tech?

I graduated from the  University of Nebraska at Kearney with a BS in Telecommunications Management and then earned an MBA in Innovation Management from University of Colorado. Overall, I’ve been in IT for 13 years.

What’s your current job like?

I deploy CloudForms and Satellite for our government customers.

Sounds super serious. How about when you’re off the clock?

I enjoy YouTube and ESPN when I’m not working. Doing some web design when I have time for a side company I’m looking to start. And I volunteer, coaching kid’s baseball teams.

What was the first instance that made you consider looking into better security online?

I was a security engineer, so 2FA has always been high on my list. Anything to make me more bulletproof. I read about hacks all the time and have had to deal with breaches at work.

Was Authy a first choice?

I used Google Authenticator first, but then I saw an article that included Authy on a suggested list of apps to try, so it was a total fluke. I tried Authy and haven’t looked back.

That’s a strong recommendation coming from a security professional. Thanks.

To be honest, I also tried the new 2FA from LastPass, but Authy’s cross-device support wins hands down. I currently get Authy protection on 11 accounts.

How long have you been using an Authy user?

I have been using Authy since fairly close to when you launched the app. I’m sure you’d have better details about my start date in your database than I have in the app 🙂

Any issues you can think of?

Sometimes names don’t come up right and sometimes name order is off but other than that, it’s a solid app.

Any suggestions for improvement?

I think less is more with an app like this. I want the product to do one thing and one thing well. I mainly need speed and refinement out of the app. You already have multi-device support and a desktop version so I’m happy. I definitely recommend it to people who want 2FA but despite all the recent hacking news, it hasn’t hit the mainstream yet. Not many people want codes to type in for security, most opt for text messages.

Actually, with the Authy API, businesses can implement better security using Push Authentication: it’s simpler and more secure than just SMS.

And, if for whatever reason, you don’t have cell service, this works so much better.

Thanks, Dustin.

You guys are doing a great job. Keep it up.

About the author Authy

Authy is simple & secure two-factor authentication, available as a free mobile or desktop app, from Twilio. To get yours, click on the download button at the top of the page.

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