Authentication
What is authentication?
If your regify account has not been further authenticated, a recipient of your message can not be 100% sure that the received message is really from you. Without authentication, this can be done, for example, by a subsequent conversation about the content of a regimail. Since an e-mail address can only be registered once for regify, it is very unlikely that it will be misused in future messages once the assignment has been clarified.
The better alternative is authentication. For this purpose, your regify provider will verify your identity. And you can then use this information in the future to give the recipients of your messages security. The verification can take place at different security levels. Your regify provider decides which ones are possible and what they look like. You may ask them for more information here.
What are the authentication symbols and their meaning?
While reading regify messages, you will notice authentication symbols which show you the different kinds of sender authentication available:
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No authentication The sender used a regify account for which the regify provider hasn't performed any authentication of the user data. Usage in this way is not a problem but the recipient can not trust the sender's details for 100%. |
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Person has been authenticated The sender's regify provider has authenticated the sender personally and the sender used his identity-file while sending. In order to obtain more information on this, you can click the icon or read the help text (stay with the mouse pointer above the symbol). |
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Organization has been authenticated The sender's regify provider authenticated the senders association to an organization and the sender used his identity-file while sending. In order to obtain more information on this, you can click the icon or read the help text (stay with the mouse pointer above the symbol). |
What authentication-levels are available using regify?
Today, in addition to no authentication, the available levels are 1,3,5,7 and 9. The remaining levels are reserved for future use. The levels are defined as follows:
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Level |
Authentication of persons |
Authentication of Organizations |
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0 |
The user is having access to the used e-mail address. This level means the absence of any further authentication. The regify provider simply checked, if someone clicked the activation link inside of the initializing e-mail (access to the e-mail account). |
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1 |
The user contacted the regify provider verbally and made his identity credible (social barrier). This can be done by telephone, Skype or other voice systems. |
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3 |
The user sent or faxed a copy of his identification card to the regify provider. |
The user sent a copy of the identification card of the manager or a copy of the Business Registration / Certificate of Registration. |
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5 |
The details of the user or company are checked against a public directory (eg callback phone number out of the telephone directory). Alternatively, the regify provider already has an existing, attest stable long business relationship with the user or organization. Or The regify provider personally knows the user (eg Human Resources Department). |
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7 |
The user personally verified his identity to the regify provider (eg personally showing identification card). Or The user is employed by the regify provider for more than 2 months. |
Not applicable |
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9 |
The user has been authenticated by a legally accepted authentication procedure like Postident (Germany), Ident.Brief (Austria), The Yellow Identification (Switzerland) etc. |
Not applicable |
What is an identity-file?
The identity-file is created by your regify provider as part of the optional authentication proccess. This file contains information which will identify yourself to your regify provider (like an ID card). It is stored encrypted on your computer and then used for every further regify communication. For recipients of messages that were created by a regify client with an identity-file, your authentication status can be directly recognized. The receiver now knows that you are authenticated by your regify provider and that the sender information is reliable.
I received an unlock code (after authentication). What's next?
You need to request your personal identity file. Open the regify configuration dialogue in your regify client software and switch to the "identity file" tab. Please press the "Request and install IdentityFile" button and enter the unlock code. When you press OK, the new file will be installed and the new identity will be used for future regify communication.
Please note that identity-files can not be used in the online portal. You can use authenticated communication only via local regify client software.
I do not know my unlock code any more. How do I get a new one?
Please log-in to your regify provider web portal and go to My Account -> Authentication -> Authentication state. If you're already authenticated, it will tell you so on top of the page. If your regify provider supports text messages (SMS), you will find a link "You are therefore able to receive the current unlock code again.". Click it to receive it again on your mobile. If you can not find this link, you have to contact your regify provider support.