Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA makes your account more secure by asking you for single-use security code when you sign in. This article explains how to set up and use MFA.

MFA adds an extra layer of security to your Attend Anywhere account in case your password is stolen. Your organisation might ask you to use MFA with your account. After you turn on MFA for your account, you sign in with the following:

  • your email address and password

  • a 6-digit security code

Each security code can only be used once, so you need to generate a new code each time you sign in. Most people generate codes using an authenticator app on their mobile device. Examples of authenticator apps include:

Speak to your Attend Anywhere administrator or IT helpdesk because your organisation may already have policies about authenticator apps.

Turn on MFA

Before you start, check that you have an authenticator app to generate security codes.

If you're planning to use Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator apps, you can follow these detailed instructions.

App

Android phone

Apple iPhone

Microsoft Authenticator

Instructions

Instructions

Google Authenticator

Instructions

Instructions

To turn on MFA, follow these steps:

  1. Open Attend Anywhere. You might need to sign in.

  2. ClickTap your initials to open the Profile menu, and then clicktap MFA Settings…

  3. ClickTap Turn on MFA.

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

When you turn on MFA, Attend Anywhere gives you 10 backup codes. It’s important that you keep the codes somewhere safe (that you’ll remember, when you need them). Do not share the backup codes with other people. If you didn’t save your backup codes, you can turn MFA off and then on again to get a new set.

Sign in with MFA

When your account has MFA turned on, you need to enter a security code when you sign in. To sign in, follow these steps:

  1. Open Attend Anywhere.

  2. Enter your email address and password.

  3. ClickTap Continue.

  4. On your mobile device, open the authenticator app. Get the 6-digit number for your Attend Anywhere account.
    Each code is valid for 30 seconds and authenticator apps typically count down the time remaining. You need to enter the code into Attend Anywhere before it expires. If the code will expire in the next few seconds, wait until the authenticator generates the new code.

  5. Back in Attend Anywhere, enter the 6-digit number into Code.

  6. ClickTap Continue.

If you select Trust this device for days, you do not need to enter a security code each time you sign in. To learn more about signing in, visit Sign in.

Other ways to sign in

If you temporarily cannot use your authenticator app, try one of the following:

  1. Email code. A temporary code sent to the account’s email address.

  2. Backup code. A single-use code given to you when you turned on MFA.

If you permanently lose access to your authenticator app (you may have lost or changed your device, or deleted the app), turn off MFA and turn it on again with your new authenticator app.

Email code

You can ask for a single-use code to be emailed to you. After asking for an email code, you need to use it within 1 hour. To sign in with an email code, do the following:

  1. Sign in with your email address and password.

  2. ClickTap Cannot access your authenticator app?

  3. ClickTap Email me a code.

  4. Check that you can read emails at the address you sign in with.

  5. ClickTap Email code.

  6. Check your email and get the single-use code.

  7. Back in Attend Anywhere, enter the code into Enter 6-digit code.

  8. Optional. Select Trust this device for days to avoid emailing codes while you cannot use your authenticator app.

  9. ClickTap Continue.

If you cannot receive the email codes, sign in using a backup code.

Backup code

You were given 10 backup codes when you turned on MFA. Each time you turn on MFA, you get a new set of 10 backup codes and any previous codes are cancelled. You can only use each backup code once.

Before you start, make sure that you have a backup code that you haven’t used before. To sign in with a backup code, do the following:

  1. Sign in with your email address and password.

  2. ClickTap Cannot access your authenticator app?

  3. ClickTap Enter a backup code.

  4. Enter an unused backup code into Code.

  5. Optional. Select Trust this device for days to avoid using up your backup codes while you cannot use your authenticator app.

  6. ClickTap Continue.

To help remember which backup codes you’ve already used, mark the code you just entered.

Turn off MFA

Warning: Turning off MFA will make your account less secure.

To turn off MFA, follow these steps:

  1. Open Attend Anywhere. You might need to sign in.

  2. ClickTap your initials to open the Profile menu, and then select MFA Settings…

  3. Select the Turn off MFA checkbox.

  4. ClickTap Turn off MFA.

  5. ClickTap Yes.

If you can’t sign in, your administrator can turn off MFA for you.

Troubleshooting

Not all organisations enable MFA for Attend Anywhere. You can find out if MFA is enabled by following these steps:

  1. Open Attend Anywhere.

  2. ClickTap your profile image or initials to open the Profile menu.

  3. If you see MFA Settings… in the dropdown menu, your organisation has enabled MFA. You can turn on MFA for your account.

If you need to sign in to Attend Anywhere, follow the instructions in Other ways to sign in.

If you do not believe you’ll get the device back, invalidate the Attend Anywhere security codes from the authenticator app. Turn off MFA and turn it on again with a new authenticator app. If you used Attend Anywhere on your lost or stolen mobile device, change your password.

Until you get a mobile device, you can do one of the following:

  • Recommended. Sign in with an email code. Select Trust this device for days to avoid emailing codes while you cannot use your authenticator app.

  • If your computer isn’t shared with coworkers, turn on MFA with an authenticator app which is installed on your computer.

We do not recommend turning off MFA because it makes your Attend Anywhere account less secure.

If the 6-digit code from your authenticator app does not work, try the following:

  1. Check the app for a new code. Security codes are refreshed every 30 seconds, and the code may have expired just before you used it.

  2. Confirm that you’re using a code for your Attend Anywhere account. Sometimes it can be harder to find the correct account if you have many accounts. You can rename the accounts in many authenticator apps.

  3. Make sure that you’re using the same authenticator app and device that you used when you last turned on MFA. While some authenticator apps sync across all your mobile devices, many do not. When you turn on MFA with a new authenticator app, codes from any previous apps stop working.

  4. Sign in with an email code or a backup code and turn off MFA and turn it on again.

If the email code does not arrive, try the following:

  1. Check your junk email folder for the message.

  2. Confirm that you’re reading messages from the email address you sign in with.

  3. Use a backup code.

  4. Ask your administrator to turn off MFA for you. Then, turn on MFA again.

Email codes only last for 1 hour. If your email code has expired, get a new email code.

You cannot use an email code as a security code. When asked for a security code, clicktap Cannot access your authenticator app? or follow these instructions. Security codes, email codes, and backup codes are all 6-digit numbers. While they look similar, they are not interchangeable.

You can generate a new set of backup codes. Follow these steps:

  1. Turn off MFA. You may need to use an email or backup code to sign in.

  2. Turn on MFA.

  3. Keep the new backup codes somewhere safe.

Your lost backup codes will no longer work.

To invalidate the stolen codes, you can generate a new set. Follow these steps:

  1. Turn off MFA. You may need to use an email or backup code to sign in.

  2. Turn on MFA.

  3. Keep the new backup codes somewhere safe.

Your stolen backup codes will no longer work. Tell your IT helpdesk or administrator that your backup codes were stolen.

A backup code might not work for the following reasons:

  1. It will not work as a normal security code. When asked for a security code, clicktap Cannot access your authenticator app?Learn more

  2. You already used it. Try another backup code from the set. You can only use each backup code once. To help remember which backup codes you’ve already used, mark the codes as you use them.

  3. The set of backup codes is invalid. Find the most recent set of backup codes. When you turn off MFA, Attend Anywhere invalidates all your previous backup codes. Delete previous backup codes when you turn off MFA.

Security codes, email codes, and backup codes are all 6-digit numbers. While they look similar, they are not interchangeable.

You can generate a new set of backup codes. Follow these steps:

  1. Turn off MFA. You may need to use an email or backup code to sign in.

  2. Turn on MFA.

  3. Keep the new backup codes somewhere safe.

Remember, backup codes are for back up and are not meant to be used as an every-day security measure.

If you do not have a mobile device that you can use for work, speak to your IT help desk about alternatives.

If your computer isn’t shared with coworkers, you can use MFA with an authenticator app which is installed on your computer. Search your computer’s app store for MFA (sometimes called 2 factor authentication). Some operating systems, such as macOS, can also generate security codes.