2FA

RomfordNavy

Any thoughts on a simple Second Level Authentication software for Windows that just works and doesn't involve signing-up to some extra service or another.  Keep getting email from Companies House telling me that I need to install this.

tacpot12

Most people will have Google Authenticator on their phone for this. Do you have a SmartPhone? 

RomfordNavy

tacpot12 said:

Most people will have Google Authenticator on their phone for this. Do you have a SmartPhone? 

No, which is why I am looking for something which can be installed on Windows.

Paradigm

Is there an option  to designate your email address for the 2FA?

I have a number of apps that will do this.

flaneurs_lobster

Are you looking to add 2FA just to be compliant with what Companies House say or are you keen to make the 2FA a meaningful security measure?

An authenticator app on a second device would be preferable, but there are apps for Windows and extensions for the usual browsers. If you are authenticating on the same device then try to make sure each code generation requires your Windows Hello ident otherwise the entire exercise is meaningless.

Vitor

Possibly the OP has slightly mixed a few things up there. Companies House probably isn’t asking you to install any software. What they’re referring to is two-factor authentication (2FA) for signing in to their online filing service. That means you use your normal password plus a one-time code, usually sent to your phone or email, to prove it’s really you.

You don’t need to install anything on your PC. When they say “set up 2FA”, they mean enabling it in your Companies House account settings, not downloading software. The most “simple” way to do it is to let them send the code by text message or email, both work fine without extra apps or services.

RomfordNavy

flaneurs_lobster said:

Are you looking to add 2FA just to be compliant with what Companies House say or are you keen to make the 2FA a meaningful security measure?

An authenticator app on a second device would be preferable, but there are apps for Windows and extensions for the usual browsers. If you are authenticating on the same device then try to make sure each code generation requires your Windows Hello ident otherwise the entire exercise is meaningless.

Just to be compliant with Companies House so I can do Annual Statement, otherwise will get fined by them.

flaneurs_lobster

RomfordNavy said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Are you looking to add 2FA just to be compliant with what Companies House say or are you keen to make the 2FA a meaningful security measure?

An authenticator app on a second device would be preferable, but there are apps for Windows and extensions for the usual browsers. If you are authenticating on the same device then try to make sure each code generation requires your Windows Hello ident otherwise the entire exercise is meaningless.

Just to be compliant with Companies House so I can do Annual Statement, otherwise will get fined by them.

In which case just do as @Vitor suggests above.

RomfordNavy

Vitor said:

Possibly the OP has slightly mixed a few things up there. Companies House probably isn’t asking you to install any software. What they’re referring to is two-factor authentication (2FA) for signing in to their online filing service. That means you use your normal password plus a one-time code, usually sent to your phone or email, to prove it’s really you.

You don’t need to install anything on your PC. When they say “set up 2FA”, they mean enabling it in your Companies House account settings, not downloading software. The most “simple” way to do it is to let them send the code by text message or email, both work fine without extra apps or services.

I think Companies House are indeed asking me to install some software to enable 2FA.  Have now installed Proton Authenticator and used that to generate the key necessary to create the Gov.uk account, which I think has worked.