Enabling email security in the Mail Administrative Console

Two-factor authentication (2FA) and app-specific passwords offer an extra layer of security for your webmail customers. Passwords alone are no longer enough to keep out determined hackers. By enabling this option for your customer, you ensure that their webmail accounts are secure, helping to minimize the risk of a hijacked email.

• Two-factor authentication
  
  • Enabling 2FA in the Mail Administrative Console (MAC)
  • Adding a custom 2FA window
  • Disabling 2FA
• App-specific passwords
  • Enabling app-specific passwords
• Customer resources

Two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security that requires not only a password and username but also something that the user has on them. It requires users to enter both a username and password combination, as well as, an ever-changing code provided for them by software developed specifically for this purpose and usually housed on their personal smartphone.

Enabling 2FA in the Mail Administrative Console (MAC)

1. Log in to MAC.
2. Click on Brands from the menu on the left-hand side.
   
   
3. Select the brand where you would like to enable 2FA.
4. Under Services & Settings, check the checkbox for Allow two-factor auth (2FA).
   Note: If you would like users also to be able to disable 2FA, be sure to check to Allow users to disable 2FA.
   
   
5. Click Update at the bottom of the page and this feature will update across the brand.

 

Adding a custom 2FA window

If you have a custom webmail login page, you can add your custom branding to the 2FA pop-up window as well.

1. In the Email section of the Control Panel, on your company page, click the Brands tab.
2. Click on the brand you wish to manage.
3. Under the Custom login page heading, click Edit.
4. You can use these CSS selectors as a starting point to adjust the 2FA pop-up window.
   

   #login-form .box-inner .modalheader
   #login-form .box-inner .modal

5. Select Update to complete your adjustments.

 

Disabling 2FA

From time to time, a user may lose the token that they have set up as their second factor. This could mean that they’ve lost their phone and cannot receive the SMS or that their google authenticator was reset. Since the information for the token is explicitly stored within that second factor, the best way to reset it is to disable 2FA for that customer on an administrative level and allow them to set up with a new token.

To disable 2FA for an individual user:

1. Log in to MAC.
2. Select Users from the left-hand menu.
   
   
3. Select the user that you would like to reset.
4. Under Password and Security, it will say Enabled beside Two-Factor Auth. Click Enabled.
   
   
5. A pop up will appear asking if you want to disable Two-Factor Auth for this user. Select Disable.
   
   
6. Notify the customer that 2FA has been disabled and allow them to set up with a new token.

App-specific passwords

In addition to 2FA, app-specific passwords are another way to offer increased security. They can be used in addition to 2FA or as a stand-alone feature. App-specific passwords provide secure separate passwords for each app or device that you receive email on, like the mail client on your cell phone.

This way if you lose your phone, for example, you can delete that password from your security settings, and it will no longer have access without having to change your password on every device. It also means you use your primary password in fewer systems, and since it’s the only password that can be used to set up the security methods, there is less of a chance of someone exploiting an apps security vulnerability.

We offer the ability to set up four app-specific passwords per email account.

Enabling app-specific passwords

1. Log in to MAC.
2. Click on Brands from the menu on the left-hand side.
   
   
3. Select the Brand where you would like to enable app-specific passwords.
4. Under Services & Settings, check the checkbox for Allow app-specific passwords.
   
   
5. Click Update at the bottom of the page.

Customer resources

• Enhanced email security FAQ
• Using two-factor authentication in webmail
• Setting up app-specific passwords with webmail
• Downloadable guide for enabling two-factor authentication
• Downloadable guide for setting up app-specific passwords

Note: To download one of the downloadable guides, select File and then Download as to select your preferred format to rebrand the content for distribution to your customers.

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