New UAE Pass security feature: What is the Web Authenticator Code?

Dubai: If you regularly use the UAE Pass to log in to different websites, you may have noticed a new feature that pops up – the ‘web authenticator code’.

The new security feature was introduced earlier this year, in February, and comes into effect when you are using a laptop or desktop to sign in to a website using your UAE Pass.

Here’s how you can use the service.

If you are logging on to your bank’s online platform, or signing in to your telecom account, you will see the option to log in using the UAE Pass.

Click on ‘Log in with UAE Pass’ and then enter your Emirates ID, email ID or phone number to continue.

The next page will provide you with the following message: ‘Open your UAE Pass app, select the number shown and confirm to login’, with a number showing at the bottom. Let’ say the website shows you the number 54.

On your phone, click on the ‘authentication request’ notification that should have popped up from the UAE Pass app.

You will be able to see three different number options. In the example given above, on your phone, you will be able to see the number 54, and two other options. Select the right number and click on ‘confirm’.

The app will then conduct a facial recognition check as well to confirm your identity.

Once these security checks have been cleared, you will be able to log in to the website.

If you are using UAE Pass to log in to an app, the process remains unchanged. When you select the ‘log in using the UAE Pass’ option, it will automatically bring up the UAE Pass app, which will use the facial recognition option to seamlessly help you log in to the app.

According to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), the Web Authenticator Code feature is fully controlled by a user-centric process that prioritises accuracy and security at every step.