100-140 Question 137
Single answerA user in your organization reports they are unable to log in to a company application that requires multifactor authentication (MFA). They state that they are not receiving the authentication code from their authenticator app. As the IT support technician, what is the BEST first step you should take to troubleshoot this issue?
- A
Verify that the user's device time and date settings are accurate and synchronized.
- B
Reset the user's authenticator app account and re-enroll them in MFA.
- C
Instruct the user to uninstall and reinstall the authenticator app.
- D
Check if the application is experiencing a known outage or service disruption.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
When troubleshooting issues with multifactor authentication (MFA) using an authenticator app, the most common issue is related to unsynchronized device time and date settings. Authenticator apps use time-based one-time passwords (TOTP), which depend on precise time synchronization between the app and the server. Verifying the device's time and date settings is a quick and effective first step to resolving such issues before considering more complex troubleshooting actions.
- A. Correct.
Authenticator apps rely on time-based one-time passwords (TOTP), and if the user's device time is not synchronized correctly, the codes generated may not match. This is the most logical first step to verify.
- B. Incorrect.
Resetting the user's authenticator app account should only be done after verifying that simpler issues like incorrect time settings or app functionality are not the cause. This is not the best first step.
- C. Incorrect.
Uninstalling and reinstalling the app might help in some cases, but it is a more intrusive step and is not the best initial troubleshooting action.
- D. Incorrect.
Checking for an application outage could be helpful if the issue persists, but this is not the most likely cause of an MFA code issue from an authenticator app.