Protecting our systems and user privacy: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) in the Canadian Common CV (CCV)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a way of protecting accounts by confirming the identity of a user by checking two different proofs of identity before they are given access. It is commonly used for online banking, social media accounts and other applications.

If someone else learns your password, MFA adds another layer of security. The intruder would be required to go through an extra verification step that could only be confirmed through your email. This makes it harder for them to access your account, lowering the risk of your password being stolen, identity fraud, or data breaches.

• Step 1: Sign in to your CCV account using your email and password

• Step 2: As you are signing in, you will be asked for a verification code that will be sent to the email address linked to your CCV account.

  

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  Sign in box will appear with the message ‘We have sent you a one-time verification code to email [your email here]. Please enter the code to complete the login process.’ You have the option to enter your code and select Verify code or select Resend code.

• Step 3: Check your email inbox for a message from no-reply@ccv-cvc.ca containing the verification code. If you can’t find it, check your junk folder.

• Step 4: Enter the verification code and click verify code.

  Note: You will have 10 minutes before your verification code expires. If your code expires, you will be required to return to the home page and sign in again.

• Step 5: Once you have successfully entered your verification code, you will be brought to the CCV home page. You have now successfully signed in.

No, there is no option to send the code to a user’s phone. All users receive a one-time verification code to the email address registered to your CCV account.

You should ensure the email linked to your CCV account is easily accessible (i.e., accessible by phone), as this could make retrieving the authentication code easier and less time-consuming, should you get logged out.

• Step 1: Sign in to the CCV using the email address that is currently linked to your CCV account, and your password.
• Step 2: Go through MFA to complete the sign in process.
• Step 3: Once you have successfully signed in, click on the “Account” tab the top right of the screen.
• Step 4: Modify the email address in the Email and Email confirm fields to the email address that you would like all correspondence to be sent to.

• Step 5: Click on the “Save” button to save the new email address.

  

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  From the CCV Home Page, you will navigate to the Account tab, which brings you to a new page. Scroll to the Email and Email confirm field, which contains the email address connected to your CCV account.

• Step 6: A message will advise you that “Changing your email address has changed your username to match it. On your next login, please remember to use your new username (email address)”

  Note: you do not need to change your password.

• Step 7: Click “Save” and you will see a message that “Your changes have been saved”, you will be prompted to save your changes.

MFA cannot be disabled. MFA applies for all users signing in to the CCV and cannot be skipped.

Yes, you are required to go through MFA every time you sign in to the CCV. Should the CCV session time out after 30 minutes of inactivity, you will need to re-authenticate using MFA. It is important to save your work often to prevent the loss of any changes.

By refreshing your session every 20-25 minutes, or by performing a simple action, such as clicking through the system, you can reset the session timer and prevent being logged out.

If you have not received your verification code, try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Check to see if the email is hiding in your spam or junk folder.
• Make sure the no-reply@ccv-cvc.ca email address providing the code is marked as safe email content by your Information Technology Department.
• Try to resend the code in case there are network issues.

If you have tried these steps and still have not received your verification code, contact the Contact Centre at 1-888-603-4178 or support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca for assistance.