Multi-factor authentication is an absolute must to help maintain the highest
level of security on your accounts. There’s many ways to go about MFA/2FA from
using an authenticator app to receiving a text message on your phone. Regardless
of the method you choose, the day may come that your are unable to log into an
account because your code(s) aren’t working.
Before you waste any of your backup scratch security codes (you did print them
out to stuff in your safety deposit box, right?) pause for a brief moment and
check the time on your system.
Often times the reason your generator token isn’t working is because your
device’s time is off, which is causing the token to not be accepted.
I’ve been burned by this a few times before as recently as just now when I sat
down to knock out a blog post for this week.
Even with “automatic date & time” enabled, things can still go hay wire from
time to time. For my most recent incident, it was because I was booted up into
Windows last night to check out a new computer game and then back into Linux
today.
To fix it, in GNOME at least, I disabled the automatic date & time and
re-enabled it. Usually it will finally sync back up on it’s own, but you know, I
was in a rush and all. Patience is a virtue as it were.
