What is 2FA protection?
2FA stands for "two-factor authentication." It is an extra layer of security used to ensure that people trying to gain access to an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access, they will be required to provide another piece of information.
2FA is essential to web security because it immediately neutralizes the risks associated with compromised passwords. If a password is hacked, guessed, or even phished, that's no longer enough to give an intruder access: without approval at the second factor, a password alone is useless.
Where do I receive the 2FA codes?
To receive the 2FA codes, you must use the Google Authenticator app on your mobile or the Authenticator extension in your browser.
They are separate tools to register the websites requiring an additional security level, 2FA.
How do I set up a 2FA account to receive 2FA codes?
Please see our guide for the easiest way to set it up on your desktop/laptop using a browser's extension. The process is mainly the same with the mobile app so we will add its nuance on the go.
Once pinned, you will always see the Authenticator logo as a QR code on your browser's toolbar.
A mobile app is represented on your mobile device as any other app does.
A mobile app is launched on your mobile device as any other app does.
- Quick access to the QR scanner is on the main page of the extension.
- Alternatively, there is an option to click the Scan QR Code button in the Pencil - + menu.
- You will see an option to select a specific area on the page. Point it to the QR code you see on the page with your left mouse button pressed.
- Once you catch the QR code, release the mouse button. A pop-up message about adding an account will appear on top of the page.
- Click the pencil logo to edit the extension's info.
- Click the + logo to add a new website that is 2FA protected. In our case, it is the DS Dashboard website.
- Click the Manual Entry button.
- Put a name for your account for your convenience. By default, the account is named after the Issuer's company name. Copy and paste the secret code you received in your Dashboard's menu Account settings - 2FA protection. Click OK.
- On a freshly installed Google Authenticator app, you can see both options available on the start screen.
- If you already have a Google Authenticator app with some accounts, you can reach the menu for adding a new account via either of the options by clicking the + button. Screenshots are not available at this point due to the security policy
- You can rename your account for your convenience and see the countdown timer for 30 seconds same as on the browser extension.
The default named account on the Authenticator looks like this:
How do I enable the 2FA protection on the DS Dashboard?
Make sure the Google Authenticator app is installed on your mobile phone or in a browser as an extension. See the guide above.
- Copy the recovery code from Step 3 to some notes app not to lose it.
- Enter the confirmation code from your email in Step 4.
- Open the Authenticator extension, click the code to copy and paste it into Step 4, or enter manually from your Google Authenticator app.
- Click the Save changes button.
- After the 2FA is enabled, you will see that your status is changed to Enabled.
You will also receive an email confirmation about it.
Can I disable the 2FA protection?
If you need to disable your 2FA protection for some reason, follow the steps below.
