this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2024
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What the title says. Before you had to choose either SMS / call via phone or a very clunky code grid.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (12 children)

Not OP but I wanted to read more (edit: about CRA’s approach to TOTP, before getting the chance to try it myself), I searched and found this: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/cra-login-services/multi-factor-authentication-access-cra-login-services.html#toc3

What is a third-party authenticator app?

A third-party authenticator app can be installed on an app enabled mobile or desktop device to be used for MFA. The app store offers many free third-party authenticator app options to choose from. Users will need to download an app that is compatible with the CRA sign-in services.

Using the app, the user scans a QR code with a mobile device when prompted. If unable to scan the QR code the user can manually enter the setup key the CRA provides into the app. The app will now be set up and the user will not have to complete this step again.

The app will then generate a 6 digit Time-Based One-Time Passcode (TOTP). When signing in to the CRA sign-in services users will be required to enter a one-time passcode provided by the app. For security, the app will generate a new TOTP every 30 seconds.

Edit: This is awesome, I’m so glad I can switch away from SMS 2FA on yet another service (and such an important one). But I am curious about a few things, see below.

Some thoughts:

  • (edit: my bad, I thought 60 seconds was more common but I checked my other TOTP and they seem to be 30 seconds) ~~why is it 30 seconds instead of 60 seconds? I’m pretty sure every other TOTP I’ve seen is 60 seconds. What is the benefit of this? Someone has 30 fewer seconds to read the code over your shoulder and log in on their device?~~
  • TD offers a passcode generator app, but it seems like you can’t disable SMS 2FA, so if you’re worried about SIM jacking then you are out of luck. Presumably they’re worried about people losing their device with the TOTP secret, but I usually back that up on multiple devices and have recovery codes. I think all the big banks are similar. Edit: I’m curious to know what CRA does, but I’m away from my PC right now.
  • nit: the previous login requires you to re enter the code from SMS 2FA or the grid thing every 8 hours I believe. But most other services seem to let you persist a cookie on the device for 30 days or so, presumably because cookie theft isn’t a huge risk, and because entering your password alone is enough to prevent other people with access to your computer from accessing your sensitive CRA account

Anyway, sorry for the negativity. This is a great step and I shouldn’t focus on negative things. I just hate how accounts I don’t care much about like Facebook (and formerly Runescape) accounts seem to be more secure from malicious logins than my bank and possibly CRA accounts.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

why is it 30 seconds instead of 60 seconds? I’m pretty sure every other TOTP I’ve seen is 60 seconds. My jaded take: the blind pursuit of “better security” even though… what does this even imply? Someone has 30 fewer seconds to read the code over your shoulder and log in on their device?

30 seconds is the default for TOTP implementations.

I’m curious to know what CRA does, but I’m away from my PC right now.

Yes, you can stop getting SMS messages.

edit: formatting

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Thanks, I edited my comment. No idea how I missed that it was 30 seconds for all this time. It looks like my own TOTP codes are even 30 seconds so I don’t know what I was thinking.

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