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Home / Glossary / TOTP
Glossary · Security

TOTP

Time-based One-time Password

In plain language

A six-digit code that changes every 30 seconds, generated by an app on your phone.

The metaphor

Like a combination that resets itself every half minute, so one that leaks is already useless.

Going deeper

How it works

  • Your phone and the service share a secret and the clock.
  • Both calculate the same code, which expires after a short time.
  • It works without a signal.
  • A fake login page can still collect it, so a security key is stronger.

How WILDCARD handles it

Cloud covers the sign-in settings in your Microsoft 365 or Google tenant, including MFA.

In practice
  • An office uses an authenticator app for Microsoft 365 sign-in.
  • A firm backs up its codes when a phone is replaced.
  • An owner moves her codes to a new phone before wiping the old one.

A question owners ask

What if I lose my phone?

Keep backup codes somewhere safe, and ask your IT provider to reset the second step before you lose access completely.

Where WILDCARD handles this
Cloud
Start with Cloud
Related terms
AAAAuthentication, Authorization, and AccountingACLAccess Control ListAdmin accountAESAdvanced Encryption StandardAES-256Advanced Encryption Standards 256-bitAIArtificial IntelligenceAPIApplication Programming InterfaceBiometrics

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