Two Factor Authentication IN QUALIA CONNECT
Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is an additional layer of protection used to secure your Qualia Connect account beyond your username and password.
While enabling 2FA is optional, it is strongly recommended. The most common way for unauthorized individuals to gain access to an account is due to a weak or reused password on the account or in the email linked to that account. Two-factor authentication raises the bar by requiring not only the Qualia Connect password, but access to a registered phone number or authentication application. This additional step helps prevent others from accessing your account.
Two Factor Authentication is an ALTA Best Practice found in Pillar 3.
LOGGING IN WITH Two Factor Authentication
When logging into Qualia Connect, you may receive a prompt to enter a six-digit verification code for the factor you have enrolled as an additional layer of security for your Connect account.
Depending on the Two Factor Authentication methods you have enrolled, you may:
– Receive a verification code via SMS.
– Be prompted to open your authentication application and enter the currently displayed verification code. This code changes every 30 seconds.
– Receive an email with a code if no other authentication methods are enrolled.
SIGNING UP FOR Two Factor Authentication
After logging in or creating an account, you will receive a prompt to sign up for Two Factor Authentication via SMS or an authentication application.
If you select SMS, Qualia will send a text message with a verification code to your phone each time you log in. Qualia can send text messages to U.S. or international phone numbers. Although Qualia does not charge for these messages, your phone carrier may do so if you do not have unlimited texts.
Authentication Applications
Authentication applications are third-party applications that users can install on their phones. These apps include Twillio Authy, Duo and Google Authenticator. You can also use password managers such as 1Password or Bitwarden. Authenticator apps work offline, on airplanes and in areas without cellular service.
After selecting the app of your choice from the drop-down menu, you will be prompted to scan a QR code using that app to finalize the setup.
MANAGE Two Factor Authentication
Once you sign up for Two Factor Authentication, you will not be able to stop.
In your settings, you can select an additional authentication method, change your phone number or regenerate the QR code for authentication applications.
Although you can have multiple authentication methods, no more than one factor of each type can be active at a time.
ACCESS PROBLEMS
If you can no longer access any of your enrolled factors, please contact Qualia support at support@qualia.com.
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
– When Connect users log in to a device they have used, they may not be prompted to enter a verification code. Connect will remember up to 10 devices per user and ten users per device.
– If you use multiple Connect accounts, you can use different Google Chrome profiles to stay logged into these accounts simultaneously. This will save you time logging into each Connect account. You can also set different colors in Chrome windows to know which Connect account is being used.
Click here to learn how to create and switch between Chrome profiles.
Click here to learn how to customize Chrome browser tabs.
– By default, Connect users stay logged in for six months. Connect users do not need to re-authenticate each time they access Connect. This has not changed with our 2FA changes. You will be prompted to re-authenticate if you log out at any time or clear your browser’s cache/cookies/local storage. Some browsers do this automatically.
– Users can skip the 2FA enrollment screen and ignore the 2FA banner. Your account will never be blocked. However, this will make you vulnerable if a password is compromised. This is a possible scenario if you reuse your Qualia password on other non-Qualia websites.
– We recommend that Clearing Agents add Transaction Coordinators to orders so that they have direct access to files and do not have to share accounts with others.
– Qualia Connect is designed to support one person per Connect account. However, suppose it is necessary to share a Connect account. In that case, the authentication application codes can be securely shared via a password manager such as 1Password, or by having multiple devices scan the same QR code from the authentication application.