#twostepauthentication

Is your phone set to the correct time?

What do I do if I can’t log in?

If you have failed to log in to Xero 5 times, using either the authentication code or security questions, we'll temporarily lock your account. You can try logging in again after 2 hours.

If you still can't log in after your account is unlocked, you'll need to contact Xero Support to have your account reset.

I have a lot to do today, I tell myself sitting while sitting down to begin finishing my school assignments. The computer purrs as I begin typing in the password to my email. Weird, why can’t I log in? I try several more times to no avail. Frustrated, I give up and slump into my chair. Suddenly, my phone rattles violently around on my desk, notifying me with a message from my best friend. “Is that you saying those things on Facebook???”, the message reads. I am confused at first, I pull open my Facebook only to realize I can’t log into it either. The panic sets in as I realize I have been hacked.

This is a situation that I, and many people who use the internet on a daily basis have experienced. There are many problems with internet security on a corporate level, but what about at a consumer level? And how is the average consumer able to defend themselves in the future against something they can’t control? The answer is simple, and already beginning to take shape throughout several popular websites. Two step authentication will be the industry standard for internet security in the next five years. A hacker can ‘prove’ they are you through the internet, but it becomes a much more challenging task when a website’s door requires a physical key in addition to a virtual ones. Two step authentication may sound complicated and much more time consuming from an outside perspective. However, the reality is that it is fairly simple, quick, and allows the safest form of security that may be available for several years. Two step authentication requires the user to have a password or virtual key that is used to identify who is logging in. Once the user has been identified the computer prompts a second form of identification. This can be done in several ways and is typically more physical than a simple password. The user will receive a series of characters (that change with each login) or be required to insert a special USB in person. By doing this, a hacker who typically does not have physical access to your phone or computer will have a much more difficult time trying to crack into one's account.