Google has released a new two-step verification process to help deter computer hackers from accessing email accounts and other Google services.

This will require users to enter a six digit code after having entered their password when logging on from a different device. The six digit code will be sent to the users mobile phone.

This feature will be rolled out initially to companies and government agencies that use Google services for email and other applications.

It is expected that in the next few months users of Google’s free Email service Gmail will have the option of enabling this feature.

People generally use the same password for lots of different websites which is not a very good idea.

Stanford PWDHash

PwdHash is a browser addon that transparently converts a user’s password into a domain-specific password.

What does this mean?

Say for example you login to Gmail using the password “password123″ and you also use this same password on your Facebook account. By using PWDHash the password123 is hashed with the domain, gmail.com to give the password “oDWsVkXNO1GpD”. When hashed with facebook.com it gives a completely different password, “2oHZykUiHmA3H”.

You might be wondering at this point, right how am I going to remember a password like “2oHZykUiHmA3H”. With PWDHash installed, you don’t need to remember either of the two long passwords. By hitting F2 (place the cursor in the password field and press the F2 key) and then typing “password123″ PWDHash automatically replaces what you have typed to “oDWsVkXNO1GpD” if you are using gmail.com and “oDWsVkXNO1GpD” if you are using facebook.com.

To start using PWDHash follow these simple steps:

Go here and install the add-on for Firefox or here to install the add-on for Google Chrome.

Once you have the add-on installed you can then go to the settings page of your Gmail, Facebook, Hotmail or whatever and request a password change.
When you are typing your new password make sure you press F2 before typing it, or alternatively precede it with “@@”.
Once you have entered your new password (usually twice for verification purposes) you should now be able to start using PWDHash, Just make sure to hit F2 before you type your password when logging in.

If you are using a different browser or you’re at a computer where PWDHash is not installed simply go to http://www.pwdhash.com and enter the details there. Then just copy and paste your password from the PWDHash website to the password field of where you’re trying to login.