Two-factor authentication is now a must for mobile and web users if they want to make sure their online accounts are always secured and protected. The problem with this is that getting a code on your mobile device and using that to log into your online account may seem such a daunting task. What if you left your phone at home and you need to login to a different computer?

Google wants to make it easier for people to keep their accounts secured with two-factor authentication, and to make this possible, it has just acquired SlickLogin.

SlickLogin is a startup from Israel co-founded by Or Zelig, Eran Galili, Ori Kabeli, graduates of UpWest Labs accelerator’s sixth cycle of Israeli startups.  It specializes in developing sound-based password alternatives that users can use to log into password-protected sites.

“Today we`re announcing that the SlickLogin team is joining Google, a company that shares our core beliefs that logging in should be easy instead of frustrating, and authentication should be effective without getting in the way. Google was the first company to offer 2-step verification to everyone, for free – and they’re working on some great ideas that will make the internet safer for everyone. We couldn`t be more excited to join their efforts,” as posted in SlickLogin’s site.

No financial information regarding the deal was revealed, but given the fact that SlickLogin is a really small company with the three co-founders its only employees, the price tag may not be that high. It has also been noted that this is more of a talent-buy than just a regular acquisition.

As noted above, Google pioneered Two-Factor Authentication when it launched another layer of security in 2011. It provided an option for people to apply a second layer of security to their Google accounts with the use of text messages or voice calls to get a unique code when they are using a computer other than their own. Another option provided by Google is the Authenticator, an app that generates a code which the user can use to verify that they are the owner of the account. The Authenticator generates a code every 30 seconds which means a code is only useful once.

With the acquisition of SlickLogin, this will allow Google to further enhance its Two-Factor Authentication offering.  It would also make securing online accounts easier for consumers.