A System administrator can set up two factor authentication for some or all accounts that access a Collaborate site. This adds a layer of security by requiring a passcode that changes for each access attempt.
Two factor authentication
Two factor authentication (2FA) adds the requirement to enter a passcode in order to access Collaborate.
The 2FA process
When you attempt to access Collaborate, Collaborate will create a new session. This happens in one of three ways:
- You are presented with a login page and successfully enter your login information.
- You have enabled Remember me in order to bypass the login page from a particular device and click on a Collaborate link.
- You are automatically logged in via Single Sign-On (users accessing Collaborate via SSO will NEVER be asked to enter a passcode.)
The Remember me feature is not available in all cases.
Collaborate provides two authentication methods; the passcode can be sent by email or generated by a linked app (for example, HighQ Drive).
Pairing with an app
When you log in and 2FA by linked app has been enabled, you can use HighQ Drive, HighQ Stream or a third-party app on a mobile device to authenticate access to your site or instance.
Your admin may configure 2FA so only a third-party app can be used for authentication; usually this is a specific app used by your organisation.
Pair with:
Authentication by email
When you log in and 2FA by email has been enabled, the following screen is displayed:
At the same time, an email is sent to your account's email address:
Type the passcode from the email into the passcode field on the Passcode verification screen and click Verify passcode before the passcode expires (by default, 5 minutes).
It may be more reliable to copy the passcode from the email and paste it into the passcode field.
Log in from your invitation
When you receive an invitation to a site or otherwise wish to access Collaborate, you will need to log in via the Please click here to login link in the invitation email:
Remember me
When you log in, you may select the Remember me option. This stores your access information and allows you to access the site without logging in.
Only use this option if you are using a trusted computer with additional security.
By default the Remember me option will work for 100 days, after which it must be reapplied.
The period before a remember me selection expires can be changed by HighQ support.
Resetting your password
If you cannot remember your password, you can click Reset your password to start the reset password process.
If you fail to login three times in a row, your account will be locked and you will not be able to login, even with your correct password.
You will receive a message after your third failed login attempt:
You have the option of resetting your password to unlock access to your account. If necessary, a system administrator can unlock a user's account that has been locked.
Allow a device to be trusted
Optionally, if this feature has been enabled at the system level, you are given the opportunity to 'trust' the device you are using for 2FA purposes. If a device is trusted, you will not be asked to enter a passcode in the future when accessing Collaborate from that device.
A device is a combination of the actual computing device you are using, e.g. a Windows PC, Mac, iPad, smartphone, etc., and the browser you are using to access Collaborate.
The ability to trust a device might not be enabled on a particular instance of Collaborate, and if it has been enabled, it may only apply to desktop devices and not mobile devices. The name given to the device must be unique for that user (but the option to add a device name is optional).
A time limit may apply to trusting a device, so trusting a device may expire after a certain number of days, after which you will need to enter a passcode when accessing Collaborate from that device. You can then choose to re-trust the device.
To trust a device, select the Trust this device checkbox and enter the unique device nickname (optional):
A few things to remember:
- Make sure to enter the passcode within the allotted time. If the passcode has expired and the user attempts to enter a passcode, then the user will be sent a new passcode and may be required to log in again.
- To forget a device that was previously trusted, simply manually log out of Collaborate from the browser that was trusted.
Resetting passcodes
If you reinstall the authenticator app or change your device, you must contact your System Admin to reset your account's 2FA settings.
