Multi-factor authentication for Customer and Consumer Service Portals

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Multi-factor authentication for Customer and Consumer Service Portals

    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances security for Customer and Consumer Service Portal users by requiring more than one set of credentials during login. Enabling MFA protects self-service web portals from potential vulnerabilities, ensuring secure user access.

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    Key Features

    • Enable MFA: Activate MFA using the glide.authenticate.multifactor property to require users and administrators to authenticate with multiple factors.
    • Bypass Setup Limit: Configure how many times users can skip setting up MFA with the glide.authenticate.multifactor.setup.bypass.count property, defaulting to 3 bypasses.
    • One-Time Code Validity: Set the lifespan in minutes for the one-time code sent via email using glide.multifactor.onetime.code.validity, defaulting to 10 minutes.
    • Clock Skew Adjustment: Use glide.authenticate.multifactor.clockskew to allow a time window (up to 60 seconds) for code validation, accommodating minor timing discrepancies and reducing login issues.
    • Role-based Activation: Require MFA for users assigned external roles sncustomerservice.customer and sncustomerservice.consumer, ensuring targeted enforcement within portal user groups.

    Practical Application

    ServiceNow customers can configure MFA properties to tailor the security experience for portal users, balancing strict security with user convenience through configurable bypass and timing settings. Assigning MFA to specific roles ensures that only designated portal users are required to comply, streamlining administration and enforcement.

    Multi-factor authentication, also known as two-step verification, is a security requirement that asserts a user enter more than one set of credentials.

    Enable multi-factor authentication for Customer and Consumer Service Portal users so that access to the self-service web portals is more secure from potential vulnerabilities. For more information, see Multifactor authentication (MFA).

    Multi-factor authentication properties

    Use properties to enable role-based multi-factor authentication criteria and configure the behavior.
    Table 1. Properties for multi-factor authentication
    Property Description
    Enable Multi-factor authentication

    [glide.authenticate.multifactor]

    		 Select this check box to enable users and administrators to use this feature.
    • Type: enabled | disabled
    • Default value: enabled
    • Location: Multi-factor Authentication > Properties
    Number of times a user can bypass setting up multi-factor authentication

    [glide.authenticate.multifactor.setup.bypass.count]

    		 Enter a number that represents how many times a user can skip the additional passcode requirement, allowing them to log in even without their mobile device. If you disable this feature and then re-enable it, the counter starts over again.
    • Type: string
    • Default value: 3
    • Location: Multi-factor Authentication > Properties
    The time in minutes, the one-time code sent to user's email address is valid for

    [glide.multifactor.onetime.code.validity]

    		 Enter a number in minutes that specifies how long the reset code is valid. See Log on with multi-factor authentication.
    • Type: string
    • Default value: 10
    • Location: Multi-factor Authentication > Properties
    Additional time in seconds for which the code will be valid to accommodate for the clock skew. Max value is 60 seconds.

    [glide.authenticate.multifactor.clock_skew]

    		 Enter a number in seconds with a maximum of 60.

    By default, the instance validates the code entered by you against the single app-generated code generated at whatever the current time is. You can skew the time window with this property and allow one or more codes generated during a time window to be considered valid.

    The property's value is used in the following calculation: current time - x/2 and current time + x/2, where 'x' is the value of this property. If you use the value of 10, for example, the instance considers any codes generated by the app between the time range [the current time - 5 seconds] and [current time + 5 seconds] to be valid.

    Use this property to help prevent log in issues where you’re unable to enter the correct code in the default time allotted.

    Configure roles for multi-factor authentication

    Add the following external roles to the multi-factor roles:
    • sn_customerservice.customer
    • sn_customerservice.consumer
    Users with these roles are required to use multi-factor authentication. For more information, see Configure user-based multi-factor criteria.