Set up two-factor authentication for Red Hat accounts

Red Hat allows users to enable two-factor authentication as an additional layer of security logging in to their Red Hat account. When two-factor authentication is enabled, you use your password plus a one-time code to log in. 

The two-factor authentication feature is available to you in one of two ways:

• Organizational two-factor authentication. When your organization enables two-factor authentication, all users who belong to a specific organization account will be required to use a second factor each time they authenticate. Users will be prompted to enable two-factor authentication upon the first log-in attempt after the organization account is enrolled.
• Individual opt-in two-factor authentication. Individual users can enable or disable two-factor authentication for their Red Hat account. When organizational two-factor authentication is turned on, individual users cannot disable it.

Here, you will learn how an individual user enables two-factor authentication. If you are an organization administrator, we review organizational two-factor authentication in the "Create and manage users" resource of this learning path. 

Enabling two-factor authentication

To enable individual two-factor authentication, you must have a smartphone or other device with the Google Authenticator app or the Free OTP app installed. Next, follow this procedure:

1. Select your user avatar in the upper right corner of your screen.
2. Select Account details.
3. Select Login & password.
4. Select Manage 2-factor authentication.
5. Open the authenticator app that you have downloaded to your smart phone, and select the option to add a token. You can use one of these methods to add a token for the Red Hat two-factor authentication.
   1. Use the authenticator app to scan the QR code that opens on the two-factor authentication page.
   2. Or, select Unable to scan? Then, enter the 32-character key string into your authenticator app.
6. After you scan the QR code (or enter the key string), the authenticator app creates an initial one-time 6-digit code. Enter this code into the One-time code field.
7. You can enter an optional name in the Device name field. This name can remind you which of your mobile devices has the authenticator app for this login.

Set up two-factor authentication