Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security process that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a system, application, or account. This adds an extra layer of protection beyond just using a password.

By requiring more than one verification method, MFA helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access, even if someone has obtained your password. It’s highly recommended for securing sensitive information stored in your notes.

Log in with your Google Account with OpenID!

OpenID is a standardized way to let you log into websites using an account from another service, like Google, to verify your identity.

Why Time-based One Time Passwords?

TOTP (Time-Based One-Time Password) is a security feature that generates a unique, temporary code on your device, like a smartphone, which changes every 30 seconds. You use this code, along with your password, to log into your account, making it much harder for anyone else to access them.

Setup

MFA can only be set up on a server instance.

TOTP

  1. Go to "Menu" -> "Options" -> "MFA"
  2. Click the “Enable Multi-Factor Authentication” checkbox if not checked
  3. Choose “Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP)” under MFA Method
  4. Click the "Generate TOTP Secret" button
  5. Copy the generated secret to your authentication app/extension
  6. Click the "Generate Recovery Codes" button
  7. Save the recovery codes. Recovery codes can be used once in place of the TOTP if you loose access to your authenticator. After a rerecovery code is used, it will show the unix timestamp when it was used in the MFA options tab.
  8. Re-login will be required after TOTP setup is finished (After you refreshing the page).

OpenID

In order to setup OpenID, you will need to setup a authentication provider. This requires a bit of extra setup. Follow these instructions to setup an OpenID service through google.

  1. Set the oauthBaseUrl, oauthClientId and oauthClientSecret in the config.ini file (check Configuration (config.ini or environment variables) for more information).
    1. You can also setup through environment variables (TRILIUM_OAUTH_BASE_URL, TRILIUM_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID and TRILIUM_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET).
  2. Restart the server
  3. Go to "Menu" -> "Options" -> "MFA"
  4. Click the “Enable Multi-Factor Authentication” checkbox if not checked
  5. Choose “OAuth/OpenID” under MFA Method
  6. Refresh the page and login through OpenID provider