Strengthening ICANN Account Security: Removing Voice Call Authentication in MFAAndre Abed

In an ever-expanding digital world, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) remains committed to securing the systems and applications integral to ICANN Board, staff, and community members. As we continue to enhance our security protocols, we are making an important update to the multi-factor authentication (MFA) options for your ICANN Account. As of 31 October 2024, the option to authenticate via voice call is no longer available for MFA.

Why Is This Change Happening?

While voice call authentication is convenient, it is less secure than the Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) option already available for ICANN Account. To provide a more secure level of protection for ICANN Account, we are discontinuing voice call authentication. This decision aligns with industry best practices and helps safeguard your ICANN Account from potential vulnerabilities associated with voice-based MFA.

What Is Multi-Factor Authentication?

MFA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring more than just your password to confirm your access credentials. With MFA, even if your password were to be compromised, the TOTP protects your account from unauthorized access. For more information on MFA, please read this blog.

What Do I Need To Do?

There is no action that you need to take at this time. You will be able to continue accessing your ICANN Account using your email address and password. We highly recommend that you enable MFA on your ICANN Account, which will protect your account with TOTP. To enable or update your MFA settings, follow these simple steps:

1. Log in to your ICANN Account.
2. Click on your username at the top right, and then select "Manage Account."
3. Click on the "Security" tile.
4. Click on "Manage MFA."
5. Click on the "Enable" button next to TOTP and follow the prompts.

A small subset of ICANN Account users have enabled MFA via voice call, and we appreciate your understanding and support for this service transition. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

To learn more, visit the ICANN Account MFA FAQ.