User Tools

Site Tools


institute_lorentz:2fa-smartphone

This is an old revision of the document!


First-time 2FA Setup via a Smart Phone

Preliminary Actions

You need to install an app on your Smart Phone which will

  • store the secret key that the IL authentication system will share with you
  • calculate TOTP passcodes using the secret key as a seed

We advise Free Software apps such as FreeOTP (download links below), but you are free to choose any apps that implement the open OTP standards.

Other mobile apps known to work with our system are google authenticator and andOTP. However, any OTP app will do.

Setup

Step 1

Navigate to any of the Lorentz Institute SSO web applications, such Account Services, Remote Workspace, etc.

You will be redirected automatically to the Lorentz Institute Identity Provider login page as in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Identity Provider login page

Step 2

Enter your IL credentials to sign in. Upon successful login, you will be redirected to a page containing a QR code to be scanned via your OTP mobile app (Figure 2). The QR code contains your shared secret key and other useful information regarding the OTP algorithm used by the IL authentication infrastructure.

Figure 2: TOTP Setup Page (QR code deliberately blurred)

Step 3

Open your OTP app and scan the QR code. Your secret key will now be stored on your phone and a new entry called Lorentz Institute Intranet with its corresponding TOTP will be created in your app (Figure 3). Insert this TOTP in the One-time code form input and, if you wish, a label in the form input called Device Name. This label is meant to help you keep track with which device the secret key has been shared. Click on Submit.

Figure 3: FreeOTP entry for Lorentz Institute Intranet and its corresponding TOTP. Upon expiration, a new TOTP will be automatically generated (left). 2FA Setup page with TOTP and label inserted (right).

Step 4

If Step 3 succeeds (errors might occur if there is too much lag time, i.e. the OTP expired), the system will send you an email to your private (not @lorentz) e-mail address with precise instructions on how to verify your identity. If your identity cannot be validated, you will not be granted access to the system.

Figure 4: Screenshot of e-mail verification process.

Step 5

Click on Back to application to redirect your browser to the Lorentz Institute SSO web application from which you started the whole process or close the browser. Your setup is complete.

2FA Access via a Smart Phone

Problems and Solutions

I cannot setup 2FA/access the system Make sure we have your private email address on record
I lost my smartphone/PC with my OTP secretNotify support@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl
Change your IL credentials
How do I disable 2FA? 2FA is mandatory on all SSO web services and to access our SSH server
My TOTP is incorrect Make sure your phone's (PC's) clock is synchronised to the SSH server time and you scanned/copied all TOTP settings correctly
My OTP secret is compromised Notify support@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl
Change your IL credentials
institute_lorentz/2fa-smartphone.1615881976.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/03/16 08:06 by lenocil