Two-factor authentication provides additional layers to protect you from online crime when using your Vaya service.

To protect our customers from unauthorised high-risk customer interactions, we use identity authentication processes to authenticate the identity of a requesting person, prior to the undertaking of a high-risk customer transaction.

What are high-risk customer transactions?

These are transactions that may result in:

• you losing access to your telecommunications service
• changes to your payment information
• adding or removing an authorised representative
• disclosing your personal information
• the addition of certain charges

What’s Wrong With Passwords?

We’re expected to use passwords for most of our online accounts, but they cause friction and slow down the way we interact with online services. Unfortunately, while we all know we shouldn’t use weak passwords, stronger passwords can be more time-consuming to type and harder to remember. Similarly, some of us re-use passwords across multiple online providers, which means that where a data breach occurs with one online provider, you can be quickly placed at risk of an account take-over with other online providers.

This is why two-factor authentication (2FA), which can be an effective measure to prevent someone armed with your passwords from getting access to your online accounts.

What is 2FA?

Two-factor Authentication (2FA) is a type of authentication that requires more than a user name and password combination and is usually applied when logging into an online account where high-value or high-risk transactions can be processed. It means two forms of authentication are required. This could be in the form of a code sent to your mobile number, or verified email account.

Why is Vaya using 2FA?

We recognise that your telecommunications service is central to how other organisation authenticate you, so we will ask you to complete 2FA before certain high-risk transactions can be performed with us. This means we may prompt you to request a 2FA code via SMS or email. Our contact centre staff will also ask you to complete 2FA where a high-risk interaction is initiated over the phone, or via live chat. Unfortunately, we may not be able to assist you with some high-risk transactions as we may have in the past where 2FA has not been completed.

How do I enable 2FA on my Vaya account?

You don’t need to do anything right now, we’ll automatically prompt you with a 2FA request when you attempt to perform a high-risk transaction with us.

What do I do if I suspect my Vaya service or account has been subjected to fraud?

If you suspect that your Vaya telecommunications service or account has been subject to fraud, you should immediately report that activity to us as well as your financial service provider.

Does 2FA guarantee my Vaya account won’t be hacked?

Unfortunately, no security feature is perfect, and criminals are always looking at new ways to gain access to other people’s services and online accounts. We do know however that the advantages of 2FA outweigh any potential risks, which makes it considerably more secure than a password alone.

If you’d like to find out more about 2FA and MFA, feel free to check out the ACSC’s MFA page.