How to Use Authy to Manage Google Authenticator Keys for WordPress

If you’re adding two-factor authentication protection to your WordPress site with iThemes Security Pro, you have two ways to manage your login keys — directly through the Google Authenticator app or with Authy, an app that also manages your Google Authenticator keys.

The Benefits of Using Authy to Manage Your Google Authenticator Keys

Authy makes managing your Google Authenticator keys easier by offering these Authy-only features:

• Enable backups to avoid being locked out if you upgrade or lose your phone – Authy will encrypt (inside your phone) your Google Authenticator accounts to securely store them on their servers. Read more on how Authy handles encrypted backups.
• Share keys between multiple devices or your computer – Authy allows multi-device verification with apps for your mobile devices and even your personal computer. With their multi-device platform, you can have multiple devices enrolled at the same time, so you can quickly get back to work if one is lost.
• Protected pins – Authy also includes the ability to add protection pins to your accounts or the entire app. That’s another added layer of security.

Getting Started with Authy

1. To get started with Authy, you’ll need to download the Authy app. They have apps available for iOS, Andriod, Mac, Windows and Linux. 2. Follow the instructions included in this post on how to activate two-factor authentication for your WordPress site with iThemes Security Pro. After you’ve activated two-factor authentication on your site, you’ll want to navigate to your WordPress User Profile page so you can use the QR code provided on your profile. 3. Open the Authy app and follow the Setup instructions. You’ll be prompted to enter your cellphone number to turn your device into a secure token. 4. After you enter your cellphone number, you can select to get your account verification via phone call or SMS. 5. If you choose SMS (the quickest way to get your verification code), you’ll immediately receive at text message with your code. You can click the link to register directly from the text message or manually copy the code to enter in the app. 6. Authy will register your account and then you’re all set. On the next screen, click Start Adding Accounts Now. 7. On the next screen, scan the QR code provided by iThemes Security Pro on your WordPress User Profile page. 8. Authy will automatically configure the account and generate your login token. 9. You’ll be able to log in to your WordPress site using this token in addition to your password.

Enabling Backups

To enable backups for your tokens, visit the Accounts page from the app. From here, you can enable backups for your Authenticator accounts.

Get Two-Factor Authentication + 30 Other Ways to Secure Your WordPress Site

With iThemes Security Pro, our WordPress security plugin, you can lock down your WordPress site with two-factor authentication and 30+ other security settings like brute force protection, file change detection and away mode — all important security measures you can take to secure your site.

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