Configuring two-factor authentication
Pairing an authenticator application so that subsequent sign-ins require both a password and a six-digit verification code.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is mandatory for every Persate account. The mechanism ensures that the account remains protected even if the password has been compromised: an additional time-based code, generated by a paired authenticator application, is required at every sign-in.
The Set Up Authenticator screen is presented automatically during the first sign-in following registration.
Required software
A TOTP-compliant authenticator application installed on a mobile device. Any of the following — among others — is suitable:
- Google Authenticator
- Authy
- 1Password
- Microsoft Authenticator
Procedure
- Open the authenticator application and select "Add account" (or the + control).
- Scan the QR code displayed on the Persate screen using the device's camera, accessed through the authenticator application. If the device cannot scan a QR code (for example, when registering from a desktop machine without a camera), copy the manual setup key shown beneath the QR code and paste it into the authenticator application.
- Enter the six-digit code that the application now displays for Persate into the input field on the website.
- Select Verify and finish setup.
The configuration is now complete. The code shown in the authenticator application is regenerated every thirty seconds; the value in effect at the moment of sign-in is the value to be used.
Authenticator backup
If access to the authenticator application is lost — through device replacement or accidental removal — recovery requires support intervention. Cloud-synchronising applications such as Authy and 1Password significantly simplify migration to a new device, in contrast to applications such as Google Authenticator that rely on local storage by default.
Subsequent sign-ins
At every sign-in, after password authentication (or after the SSO provider's dialogue), the application requests a six-digit code from the authenticator application.
The code field consists of six separate boxes; entering a digit in the first box advances the cursor automatically. A complete six-digit code may also be pasted into the first box, in which case the remaining boxes are populated automatically.
A rejected code most commonly indicates that the value in question expired between generation and submission. Waiting for the next code typically resolves the issue.