2SA is here to stay

There has been mixed reactions to the introduction of two step authentication (“2SA”) to Xero but as we move further into a digital society our online security and safety has to be a priority.

With the Australian Taxation Office bringing in mandatory two step authentication (“2SA”) for all Xero practices, accountants and bookkeepers accessing Australian small business clients more and more software providers are going to 2SA.

I have a google authenticator on my iPhone which is invaluable as I currently have six accounts being a mixture of gmail, Deputy and Xero that requires me to use 2SA to access.

However, not everyone has a smart phone (yes this is true!). So if you don’t have a smart phone or you don’t want to use google authenticator on your phone you can download it on to your computer. You need to use it at least once to set up your account on the authenticator.

When you set your account up you are asked to also set up 3 questions and answers and you are given the option to add a secondary email account. Which means if you are not using your authenticator you have two other access options available. Answer 2 of the 3 randomly selected questions or get a code emailed to your secondary email account.

When you log in don’t forget to tick the box ‘remember me for 30 days’ so that you only have to go through the process once a month.