Social login options are helping to improve user security across a range of websites and online services, argues the Yubico team in a new post on the company’s blog.

Social login is, of course, the use of social media credentials to access accounts with third party platforms – in other words, using your Facebook or Google username and password to authenticate. It appears to be an increasingly popular login mechanism, helping to simplify matters for end users who are already juggling too many other login credentials.

The reason this can equate to better security is that social media platforms are increasingly enabling two-factor authentication. Instagram and Facebook both recently enabled 2FA options for users, allowing them to complement their password security with another authentication mechanism, such as an SMS code delivered to their phones.

For users of Yubico’s USB key solutions, that kind of support will ultimately mean simple yet more effective security going forward, as more social media platforms enable U2F support and other sites and services enable social login.