With Cerby, you can add an extra layer of security to your accounts without affecting collaboration.

As a Cerby Protect user, you can turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for your accounts using verification methods managed by Cerby. The goal is to improve and secure the logging-in processes for you and all the users with shared access to your accounts.

The following are the Cerby-managed verification methods you can set up:

Authenticator app: When configured as an authenticator app, Cerby provides time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs).
NOTE: This is the preferred verification method.
Email address: You can create an email address to receive in your Shared Inbox the verification codes sent by your apps via email messages.
Phone number: You can create a phone number to receive in your Shared Inbox the verification codes sent by your apps via SMS messages.

Cerby recommends always turning on 2FA for the accounts that support it. The following are some of the benefits of trusting Cerby to manage the verification methods:

Streamlined login: Cerby can fill in the TOTPs or verification codes you need to log in automatically. You can also copy them from the Cerby client apps to log in manually if needed.
Centralized control: You can manage the verification codes sent to Cerby-managed email addresses and phone numbers from one place: the Shared Inbox.
Encrypted data: Cerby uses a Zero Knowledge architecture to encrypt the TOTPs generated by Cerby as an authenticator app. This means that even Cerby cannot access or read your 2FA codes.
Improved collaboration: TOTPs and verification codes are distributed through the Cerby platform to all the users with shared access to the account whenever they need to log in.

2FA is one of the most impactful cybersecurity best practices. According to Microsoft, 99.9% of the compromised accounts they track daily don’t have a multi-factor authentication method in place.

This article describes how to turn on 2FA with verification methods managed by Cerby.

Turn on 2FA managed by Cerby

To turn on 2FA managed by Cerby for your accounts, you must complete the following steps depending on the verification method:

Authenticator app
1. Navigate to the 2FA or multi-factor authentication (MFA) page in the account settings of your app.
2. Select the option to turn on 2FA by scanning a QR code. A QR code is displayed.
3. Log in to your workspace using your Cerby mobile app.
4. Tap the corresponding account card to open the account details screen in your Cerby mobile app.
5. Tap the Scan Code button to enable the camera on your mobile phone.
6. Scan the QR code with your mobile phone to link your account to the authenticator app.
7. Save your recovery codes in the Cerby web app through the account details page.
Cerby-managed email address or phone number
1. Navigate to the 2FA or multi-factor authentication (MFA) page in the account settings of your app.
2. Create the email address or phone number through Cerby by following the corresponding instructions in the Create a Cerby-managed email address and Create a Cerby-managed phone number sections from the Getting Started Guide for Account Owners and Collaborators article.
3. Configure the email address or phone number as a 2FA verification method in the account settings of your application.
4. Retrieve the verification codes from the Cerby Shared Inbox to complete the configuration process in the app.