Google’s Nest accounts will require two-factor security starting this spring

Enabling two-factor authentication for your Nest account is a no-brainer when it comes to keeping hackers from taking control your Nest cameras, and if you haven’t already done so, Google is about to do it for you.

Google just announced that starting this spring, it will switch on two-factor email authentication for Nest accounts that don’t already have two-step authentication enabled, or for Nest users who haven’t migrated to a Google account.

Once Google turns on the security feature, Nest users attempting to log into their accounts who haven’t yet enabled two-factor authentication will get an email from account@nest.com with a six-digit code, which they’ll need to verify their identity.

The extra layer of authentication makes it that much tougher for hackers to seize control of your account, even if they’ve managed to steal your password.

Owners of both Nest and Ring cameras were subject to a rash of attacks over the past year, with hackers taunting users over the camera’s built-in speakers, speaking to their kids, and (in a particularly bizarre case) even sending a false warning of a North Korean missile attack.

For its part, Amazon-owned Ring just rolled out a new Control Center dashboard that makes two-factor authentication mandatory for all new accounts, although both new and existing owners can opt-out of two-step authentication if they wish.

Of course, there’s no reason to wait if you haven’t already enabled two-step authentication on your Nest account.

If you haven’t migrated to a Google account yet, open the Nest app, tap Account > Manage account > Account security, select 2-step verification, then follow the prompts.

If you have migrated your Nest account to Google, you can turn on two-factor authentication by going to the main Google Account page, clicking the Security tab, then selecting 2-Step Verification.