Help
General
How do I find the certificate file on my computer?
- Enter "*.pfx" (without quotation marks) in the search field of your desktop´s taskbar and press [Enter].
- The certificate is saved with the extension "* .pfx". This kind of file format is quite rare and will normally not show up often in your search results.
- Your computer searches the hard drive for the certificate file. Depending on the memory used, this may take several minutes.
- The certificate is then displayed in the search results if it is saved on the hard disk. If you can no longer find your certificate, you have to register again.
I`ve forgotten my password or entered it incorrectly serveral times. What can I do?
The password, which means, that it's only known by you. You cannot login to authega without your password and you also can not access your business application.
If you forget your password, it can't be issued again, because it's part of the certificate. Therefore, your authega account will no longer be usable.
If you use the registration type authegaBasic, your user account isn't locked, in case you've entered the password incorrectly three times. There is no limitation for log-in attempts.
Your account at authega is not automatically deleted if your certificate is locked, so you should delete your account due to security reasons. To access your business application, you have to register again.
Is there a fee to use authega?
Everything that authega offers is free of charge.
Is my data secure at authega?
Yes, it is. You can also choose which registration type is most suited to your needs by selecting a suitable registration type.
You can find technical information concerning the different types of registration in the public area at Data Securtiy / Security Technology.
Which services can I use with authega?
With the help of the authentication service authega, you can securely log on to various portals. The currently supported portals can be found on our portal selection.
Can I use my certificate for different services?
The certificate files issued by authega do not contain any personal data. The assignment of your identity to the certificate file and the authorization are carried out exclusively in the respective business application. Due to the current legal situation and the pseudonymous design of authega's certificate file it cannot be used for the authentication to different business applications. Otherwise data protection would not be ensured.
Help menu for registration
What is the password and how do I obtain it?
The password is your personal identification component that belongs to the certificate file generated and without which it is not possible to have access to your authega account. It is chosen by you yourself during the registration process (see Registration) according to predefined criteria. Please ensure that the password is neither lost nor known to others, as it cannot be reset or reassigned. Authentication with authega and access to the business applications can only be granted with a valid certificate file and knowledge of the associated password. More information can be found here.
What do I have to do if I do not receive the Email oder letter with the activation data?
If you do not receive an Email with activation ID within two days or a letter with activation code within 10 working days, please check the data indicated in registration process and contact the Hotline, if necessary.
How can I differentiate the activation data in the case of serveral registration attempts?
If you have made several registration attempts and therefore have received more than one email with an activation ID or several letters with activation codes, you can differentiate between them and assign them to each other using the blocking code („Sperrcode“) or time of registration noted on them.
To complete registration, use the activation data from any letter and the corresponding email.
What should I watch out for with the certificate name?
In principle, the name of the certificate file can be freely chosen as long as the .pfx attachment is retained. The name proposed when creating the certificate begins with "authega" and contains information about the associated portal (eg "lff" for the PersonalID in Bavaria) and the time of creation (in the form yyyymmdd_hhmm).
Using authega Software Certificate
I registered with Software Certificate. How can I use the generated certificate on another browser or computer??
If you chose the option "save additional (backup) copy of the certificate to hard drive" during registration, you can load this file during login in a different browser, or copy it to another computer. Alternatively, you can login to authega and then use the "Export Certificate" functionality in the service area to save the certificate externally.
How can I transfer a certificate saved in Edge, Firefox oder Chrome to another browser oder computer?
To transfer a certificate between these browsers, you can after login to authega use the functionality "Export Certificate" in the "service" area to save the certificate as a PFX file afterwards you can load the certificate to another browser by clicking on Login / Software Certificate. After this action the certificate has been saved to this browser as well, so the external file is no longer required.
I use the same certificate in serveral browser or different computers. What do I habe to take care of during certificate renewal or if I change my Password?
If you extend your certificate or change your Password, only the copy of the certificate stored in your currently used browser will be changed. Please export the changed certificate after extension or change of the Password and import it to all other browsers where the certificate is used.
What to be considered when using authega with iPhone/iPad?
On iPhones/iPads, the certificate file generated during registration in the browser can only be downloaded if the browser used is Chrome or Edge (and not the pre-installed standard browser Safari). When using one of these two browsers, a folder called “Chrome” or “Edge” is created on the iPhone/iPad in which the certificate file is saved when downloaded. The certificate file can be accessed from the corresponding folder when logging in.
When using Apple's pre-installed Safari browser on iPhones/iPads, the certificate file generated during registration in the browser cannot be downloaded and saved.
Starting with iOS version 13.1 you can copy the certificate file (file with the extension .pfx), which was generated during registration, for example with a computer, to the iPhone/iPad and then select it during login.
Moreover, the certificate file can also be stored in the browser's offline store in Safari: You can find further information about this under Comfort-Login.
Please note that with some updates the offline store of your browser will be emptied. This also applies to the authega certificate files, which are stored in the offline store as part of the comfort-login.
You can find further information about this under system requirements.
Security
Is my data secure with authega?
Yes, it is. You can also choose which registration typeis most suited to your needs by selecting a suitable registration type.
You can find technical information concerning the different types of registration in the public area at "Security".
When I`m logged in and do not perform any action for some time, does authega disconnect the current session?
For security reasons, authega will close an open session automatically after 10 hours, when no actions were registered during this time. An automatic login to more than one business application without repeated Password entry is only possible within 5 minutes, once this time has elapsed, you are asked to authenticate again using your certificate and Password.
How can I be sure, that the certificate has been issued by authega?
Each certificate has a unique feature, the so-called fingerprint. The fingerprint of a certificate can be viewed in the information on the certificate of a website.
The latest, valid fingerprint for authega web server certificate can be found authega-Webserver-Certifikate.
What to consider about the captchas?
The purpose of captchas is to make a misuse of functions of authega, especially by automated attacks, more difficult.
Please note the following issues:
- If you cannot identify a captcha you can request a new one (see "New Captcha" below the picture).
- The visual captcha is case-sensitive.
- The audio captcha and the visual captcha differ regarding the content.
What should I do if I suspect that my certificate file has been stolen or copied without authorization?
As a precaution you should use My user account > Change password or My user account > Renew user account. By doing this your existing certificate file will become invalid and you will receive a new certificate file with a new password.
Certificate extension
How long is my Software Certificate valid?
Every electronic certificate has a certain period of validity. The expiry of a certificate is therefore a normal process. In case of Software Certificates the validity starts when the certificate file has been issued in the second step of the registration ("activation"). The authega Software Certificates are valid for three years.
What do I have to do when my certificate file expires soon?
If you have been notified by authega that your Software Certificate is about to expire, please log in to authega. Select "Renew user account" at "My user account". After entering the password click "Save renewed certificate file". You are now asked to save the new certificate file to complete the renewal. Future logins have to be performed using the new certificate file.
Please note that it is necessary to renew your certificate before it expires. Otherwise you will no longer be able to log in with authega or renew your certificate file after expiration.
We recommend deleting the already expired authega Software Certificate, in order to avoid confusion.
Am I going to lose data or user account settings if I renew my Software Certificate?
All saved data of your user account will remain untouched when extending your Software Certificate.
How do I know if my Software Certifikate is about to expire?
Several weeks before your certificate file expires you will be notified about the exact expiration date of your current Software Certificate by email and by notification at „My user account“ when you are logged in. If notified you should carry out the renewal as soon as possible with „Renew user account“ at „My user account“."
What do I have to do if I no longer want to be registered with authega after my Software Certificate has expired?
After your Software Certificate has expired you can no longer log in to authega and have access to the respective business application. User accounts that have become unusable due to the expiry of the certificate file are deleted automatically. To use authega again you would have to register again.
Is there a change of permissions, when my Software Certificate is renewed?
When a certificate file is renewed no permission are changed.
How is the renewal of my certificate file done?
Select "Renew user account" at "My user account". After entering the password click "Save renewed certificate file". You are now asked to save the new certificate file to complete the renewal. Future logins have to be performed using the new certificate file.
If unexpected errors occur after clicking the button "Save renewed certificate file", please try to log in with the updated pfx file first. If it does not work use the backup copy of your existing pfx file. Should both options fail (using the correct password in each case), please contact the Hotline or register again.
What to consider when renewing your Software Certificate?
When the renewal of the certificate file is complete, copies of your previous pfx file (e. g. on other devices or as a backup) will no longer be working. You will need to replace them with copies of your renewed pfx file.
How to identify that the renewal of your Software Certificate was successful?
When you are logged in you can find information about your authega user account at „My user account“. If the validity of your certificate file specified there is longer than two years in the future the renewal of the certificate file was successful."
User Accounts
Can I have access to multiple user accounts?
Yes, you can create an unlimited amout of user accounts, but there might be restrictions in certain business applications.
In some cases (e. g. password / certificate file lost or no longer usable, previous account was deleted with original registration) a re-registration is recommended.
Can I use multiple user accounts in the same browser at the same time?
It is not possible to use two different user accounts in one browser at the same time. If you use a second window or tab to access authega, the parallel window or tab will still access the user account to which you are already logged in.
What do I have to do if I need more than one user accounts?
You have to register separately for each user account that you require or have to be registered by a person involved with the business application.
There may be restrictions for certain business applications.
Can I use my authega Software Certificate for other portals that use authega as an authentication service?
No, unfortunately this is not possible.
The certificate files issued by authega do not contain any personal data. The assignment of your identity to the certificate file and the authorization are carried out exclusively in the respective business application. Due to the current legal situation and the pseudonymous design of authega's certificate file it cannot be used for the authentication to different business applications. Otherwise data protection would not be ensured.
Can I also delete my user account?
Yes, you can use "Delete account" to delete our user account you no longer require. You have to enter your user account's lock code, answer/fill in the CAPTCHA and then click "Next". If you forgot the lock code of your user account, you can request the information for your registered user accounts to be sent to you. To do this, enter the identification data you entered during registration. You will then shortly receive an email to the address used during registration containing the locking code of your account.
Next, please enter the answer to the appropriate "security question" and select a reason why you would like to delete the account. You will then be asked once more if you really want to delete the account. Clicking "Yes" initiates the account lock of your personal access. If an unauthorized person would like to lock your account, he or she would have to know your identification data and the answer to your personal security question, so you really should memorize the answer to the "security question" and avoid giving it to anyone else.
If the answer to the security question was entered incorrectly 3 times, you can retry deleting your account only the next day (starting at 00:00:01 o'clock). You have three log-in attempts, just like before.
If you have realized that your authega user account has been missused, and that you cannot remember your security question to delete the account, you can arrange the deletion of your user account by contacting the service desk responsible for you.
Can I delete my user account even if I haven`t yet completed the registration process?
Yes, you can use "delete account" to delete your user account even if the registration process is not yet completed. However, please note, that a letter with an activation code will be sent to you for technical reasons anyway. This does not affect the deletion of your account. You can delete the letter with the activation code afterwards.
Can I reactivate a deleted user account?
No, you can't. If you need access, you are going to need to register again. Deleting your account does not lead to any loss of data in the business application (this does not apply to "Plattform für sichere Kommunikation in Bayern").
I would like to delete my user account but I have already repeatedly entered the wrong answer to the security question.
If the answer to the security question was entered incorrectly three times, you can retry deleting the user account on the next day (starting at 00:00:01 o'clock). Once again you can try 3 times.
If you realize, that your authega user account has been missused, and if you cannot remember your security question to delete the account, you can arrange the deletion of your user account by contacting the service desk responsible for you.
What personal data will remain in the system if I delete my user account or if registration failed?
No personal data are going to remain in the system. In both cases your personal data will be removed automatically and completely from the attached data processing system.
The user does not have to take explicit steps in this case.
Browser-Settings
Which settings in the browser can restrict the use of authega?
In order to be able to use all functions, you have to allow cookies in your browser for authega.
If you do not want to allow cookies for all websites for security reasons, it is possible to add authega to the list of trusted sites (Chrome) or to allow an exception for this page (Firefox).
Note: The cookies used by authega do not contain any personal data, only the number of your current user session or, if applicable, the path to the certificate you are using.