​​​As from this month, the digital security system of the electronic identity (eID) will be strengthened to further secure the identities of all eID account holders. An extra layer of security, namely a two-factor authentication (2FA) shall be implemented. Two-factor authentication is used to ensure that the person attempting to access an online account is who they claim to be.

This feature significantly lessens the prospect of online identity theft and other forms of online fraud. 

The 2FA will be phased according to age, starting with the 14 to 16-year-old age bracket. eID account holders will be notified when it is their turn to enable the 2FA and till when the 2FA must be enabled.

To register for the 2FA, eID account holders will be directed to the eid.gov.mt portal where they must first authenticate their email account by entering the one-time verification code that will be sent to their email address. This will activate the 2FA feature. Account holders will be given the option how they are to receive the one-time verification code when logging in their eID account, namely by email, SMS, or the Authenticator App. Identity Malta Agency will also inform the public through its social media channels and other means, providing a step-by-step tutorial on how one should enable the 2FA.​

This is another step towards strengthening services that are provided online, which will give peace of mind to eID account holders while utilising government's digital services in a more efficient and secure manner.

Identity Malta will continue to work closely with servizz.gov to establish more cooperation and consolidate and combine the various government services offered digitally, to better facilitate accessibility to all services provided.​