two-factor authentication at State Services will become mandatory – Kommersant

The Russian Ministry of Digital Development reported that on October 28, two-factor authentication will become mandatory for all users when entering the government services portal. Currently, it is only required for new users and those who want to restore their account.

“Starting October 28, portal users will be able to log into their account once in the old way to clarify data, such as a phone number, and decide on the choice of additional protection. You can do this in the “Security” section by selecting “Login with confirmation”. For those who do not install the second factor during this visit, a banner with protection options will appear the next time they log into their account. Until one of them is chosen, it will not be possible to use “State Services,” says the message posted on Telegram channel Ministry of Digital Development.

To install the second protection factor, users need to log into their profile in their personal account on the government services portal. Then, in the “Security” section, select “Login with confirmation”, and then select one of three options for additional confirmation. Among them are a code from SMS, a one-time code from a special application, and login using biometrics.

On October 1 this year, the department reportedthat by that time more than 35 million Russians had already activated two-factor authentication to log in to Gosuslugi.

From February 1 of this year, it became possible to access the State Services website, as stated by the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, not only using a login and password, but also through a unified biometric system. This was approved by Russian Government Decree No. 1879 dated October 21, 2022. It was clarified that this opportunity is provided to users on a voluntary basis, and account activation can take up to five days.

The Government Services portal was launched in the Russian Federation in 2009. In 2021, by decision of the country’s authorities, the portal was significantly improved and updated. The new version of the portal is completely developed on domestic software, Mr. Shadayev emphasized.

Alexander Kislov