The Digital Security Card (DSC) is a battery operated security device which generates a series of random codes to be entered along with your user name and password upon each log in attempt.  As physical possession of the DSC is required to obtain the codes and log in, the device effectively prevents hackers who may have compromised your computer or information from accessing your account.  Instructions for operating the DSC are outlined below. 

Step 1 -  When logging into your account, enter your user name and password as usual. If successful, a 6-digit Challenge Code will appear. 

Step 2 - Turn on your device by pressing the “press” button until the 'PIN>' display appears, enter the 4-digit PIN code you specified at the time you requested the device and press the “OK” button. 

Step 3 - Enter the 6-digit Challenge Code from the login screen (step A) into the device when the 'CHALLNG>' display appears, press the “OK” button and a response code will appear. 

Step 4 - Enter the 8 digits of the response code (Step C) into the login Screen. Select the Login button to proceed. 

Note that the buttons on your security cards are not touch sensitive and must to be pressed to operate.

Related Articles

KB1042 - Video instructions for logging in with the Secure Code Card

KB1942 - Reactivating the permanent Secure Login Device

KB1943 - Requesting a replacement Secure Login Device

KB1131  - Overview of the Secure Login System

Background: 

Prerequisites

The possibility of sharing a physical security device will be granted only if ALL the conditions below are respected:

a) The participant users belong either to the same entity or to different entities but with the same identification data (Date of Birth, Citizenship, Country of Legal Residence, Identification Document type and number or Social Security Number for US Citizens and residents). 

b) The participant users do NOT have a temporary security device (Temporary Code, Online Security Code Card) currently assigned to them.

c) The physical device offering the highest level of protection has to be shared. In case all the devices offer the same level of protection, whichever of them can be eligible. You can check the security level of your device in the table below:

Security level	Device name	Device image
Highest	Digital Security Card+ (DSC+)
Lowest	Security Code Card (SLS card)

 

 

Procedure:

1. Among the possible candidates, identify the device offering the highest level of protection and the user that device belongs to. We will call that user the device owner

2. Log in to your Client Portal page with the requesting user (NOT the device owner)

3. Click on Menu icon in the top-left then select Settings and then User Settings

6. Enter the credentials of the device owner you identified at point 1. and click on Continue.

 

8. Once you have reviewed the correctness of the information entered, click on Continue.

 

9. The system will display the status of your request (see note a. for details). Click OK to finalize the procedure.

NOTES:

a. In the vast majority of cases your sharing request will be automatically and immediately approved, processed and enforced. In case the approval of our Compliance department is needed, your request will stay in a pending status until this step has been cleared.

c. Here below you can see the most common error messages and their causes:

- Less secure device: This error is returned if you set up the less secure token as the one to be shared. Please identify the most secure device and share that one.

 References:

• Overview of the Secure Login System: KB1131 or ibkr.com/sls 
• Multiple Two-Factor Authentication System (M2FS): KB2895
• How to share the Security Login Device between two or more users: KB2481
• How to opt back into the Secure Login System: KB2545
• Security considerations following SLS opt-out: KB1198
• Are there any charges or expenses associated with the security devices? KB1861
• How to troubleshoot Client Portal Login Failures: KB1132
• How to troubleshoot Trading Platform Login Failures: KB1133

Table of contents

• Requirements
• Installation
• Activation
• Operation
• No Notification

Requirements

• Must be installed on an Android Phone that has not been rooted.
• Device's Android Version must be 7 or later.

Installation

You can download the IBKR Mobile app on your smartphone directly from;
Google Play Store , 360 Mobile Assistant or Baidu Mobile Assistant.

How to install IBKR Mobile from the Google Play Store:

1. On your Android phone tap on the Play Store app.
2. Tap on the search bar at the top, type IBKR Mobile then tap Search.
3. Locate the app IBKR Mobile from Interactive Brokers Group, then select it (Figure 1.).
4. Tap on Install to the right (Figure 2.).
   
5. Once the installation completes, tap on Open to launch the IBKR Mobile app.

Figure 1.                                                                              Figure 2.

 

Activation

Once the app has been installed on your device you will need to activate it for the username you would like to enroll. This operation happens entirely on your phone, requires Internet access and the ability to receive SMS (text message).

1. On your phone open the IBKR Mobile app:

1.a. If you're opening IBKR Mobile for the first time since its installation, proceed to step 2.

1.b. If when opening IBKR Mobile you land on the login screen, tap Services on the top left (Figure 3.) and proceed with step 2.

1.c. If when opening IBKR Mobile you land on your Home Page, Portfolio, Watchlists, or similar, tap the Menu icon on the top-left (Figure 4.). Then tap Two-factor Authentication (Figure 5.), followed by Activate IB Key (Figure 6.) and proceed with step 2.

Figure 3.                                                   Figure 4.                                                    Figure 5.

Figure 6.

2. Tap Register Two-Factor (Figure 7.), review the instructions and tap Continue (Figure 8.).

Figure 7.                                                         Figure 8.
 

3. Enter your IBKR Account Username and Password then tap Continue.

Figure 9.

4. The default mobile phone number on record for your account will be already selected. If you are not able to receive text messages (SMS) on that number, you should choose a different one from the list (if applicable) or add a new one. To add a new mobile phone number, tap Add Phone Number, enter the new number¹ and corresponding Country.  Once you have selected your preferred mobile number from the list or added the new mobile number, tap Get Activation Code.

Figure 10.


5. An SMS message will be sent with an Activation Token. Enter the token in the Activation Code field, create a PIN² then tap Activate.

Figure 11.                                                         Figure 12.
 

6. You will receive a message with the outcome of the operation. Tap Done to finalize the procedure (Figure 13.).

Figure 13.                                                         Figure 14.
 

Once the IBKR Mobile Authentication (IB Key) has been activated, you can close the app. Refer to Operation instructions below on how to use the authentication module.

Notes: 

1. You must enter your phone number without your country's trunk prefix (123 instead of 1123 or 0123) and only enter numbers without any spacing or special characters.
2. The PIN must be at least 4 and up to 6 characters (letters, numbers and special characters allowed). Refer to KB2269 for additional guidelines.

Operation

Once activated, you can use the IBKR Mobile Authentication (IB Key) to validate your login attempt as follows:
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not have Internet access while operating the IBKR Mobile, please refer to the section "What if I do not receive the notification?"

1) Enter your IBKR Account credentials into your trading platform or Client Portal login screen and click Login. If your credentials have been accepted, a notification will be sent to your phone.

Figure 15.

2) On your phone, swipe down from the top and check your notification drawer. Tap on the IBKR Mobile notification. If you have not received the notification, please refer to KB3234.

Figure 16.

3) The IBKR Mobile Authentication (IB Key) will open, prompting you for your fingerprint or your PIN, according to the hardware capabilities of your phone. Please provide the requested security element.

Figure 17.                                                    Figure 18.

4) If the authentication has succeeded, the trading platform or Client Portal login process will automatically move ahead to the next phases.

Figure 19.

What if I do not receive the notification?

If the notification does not reach your phone, it may be because notifications are disabled, no internet access is available or you have a poor, unstable connection. In these cases the seamless authentication may not be available but you can still use the manual Challenge/Response authentication method as described below: 

1) On your trading platform or Client Portal login screen, click the link "Click here if you do not receive the notification" .

Figure 20.

2) A Challenge code will be displayed on the screen.

Figure 21.

 

3) Launch the IBKR Mobile app on your Smartphone, select Authenticate (if necessary), enter your PIN and the Challenge code you obtained in the previous step. Tap Generate Passcode.

Figure 22.                                                         Figure 23.
 
 

4) A Response String will be displayed.

Figure 24.

 

5) Enter the Response String into your trading platform or Client Portal login screen. Then click OK.

Figure 25.

 

6) If the authentication has succeeded, the trading platform or Client Portal login process will automatically move ahead to the next phases.

Figure 26.

Back to top

References:

• See KB2748 for instructions on how to recover IBKR Mobile Authentication (IB Key).
• See KB3234 for troubleshooting missing IBKR Mobile notifications
• See KB2745 for instructions on how to clear the cache for the IBKR Mobile app.

Click on the link below which best describes your situation:

1. Receiving “Invalid user name password combination” message
2. Receiving “Login Failed” message upon entering security device values
   
3. I’ve forgotten my user name and/or password
4. I’m temporarily without possession of my security device
5. My security device has been lost or damaged
6. I’ve been issued a temporary passcode which has expired
7. I’ve been issued an online security card which has expired
8. I’m awaiting delivery of my physical security device and can now no longer log into my account
9. I am able to log into Client Portal with my temporary passcode but not the trading platform
10. I am in possession of my security device and wish to activate it
11. Receiving “BAD CHARACTER” message after entering my user name

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are unable to resolve your account access issue from the information above, please contact your local Client Services Center.  Also note that for security purposes, all requests for login assistance must be initiated via telephone as it requires prior verification of the account holder's identity. A listing of Client Services Centers, contact numbers and hours of operations may be found via the following website link: ibkr.com/support

1. Receiving “Invalid user name password combination” message.

Make sure that the Caps Lock key is not on as user name is case sensitive and is required to be input in lower case format.

IMPORTANT SECURITY NOTICE: If an account experiences 10 consecutive failed Client Portal login attempts within any 24-hour period, it will be locked out from login regardless of subsequent attempts using the correct user name and password combination. This lock out, intended as a security measure to prevent hackers from random attempts to guess the password, will remain in force until 24 hours have passed since the last unsuccessful log in attempt.

If you believe that your account has or is about to be been locked due to consecutive failed login attempts, you will need to contact to contact your regional Client Services Center via telephone for assistance. Note that assistance for log in matters is only provided via telephone and after the identity of the account holder has been verified.

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2. Receiving “Login failed” message upon entering security device values

a. If operating with a temporary passcode, note that alpha characters are case sensitive and are required to be input in upper case format

b. If operating a security card or electronic device, note that there are no spaces between characters

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3. I’ve forgotten my user name and/or password

For security purposes, all requests for assistance with a user name and/or password must be initiated via telephone and require prior verification of the account holder’s identity. Requests are to be directed to one of the regional Client Services Center. 

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4. I’m temporarily without possession of my security device

If you are temporarily without possession of your security device, interim access may be provided by contacting your regional Client Services Center via telephone where, once your identity has been verified, you will be provided with a temporary passcode.

The temporary passcode is a static alpha-numeric code which replaces the randomly generated code provided through your security device and which will provide full access to Client Portal and the trading platforms for 2 days. Should a lengthier period of interim access be necessary, and to obtain enhanced protection, it is recommended that you use the temporary passcode to log into Client Portal and print out the on-line security card which will operate as a replacement to your security device for up to 3 weeks.  

After the expiration of the temporary passcode or on-line security card, or if you regain possession of your security device beforehand, you will need to log into Client Portal and select the menu option to re-activate your security device.

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5. My security device has been lost or damaged

In the case of a lost or damaged security device, you will need to contact our Client Services Center to arrange for a replacement and to provide for interim access. As the time frame for shipping a replacement device may range form 3 to 14 days depending upon your country of residence, interim access is provided via an on-line security card. The on-line security card may be retrieved for printing or saving as an image to your desktop once a temporary passcode has been provided for Client Portal access.

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6. I’ve been issued a temporary passcode which has expired

The temporary passcode is intended to provide full access to both Client Portal and the trading platforms for a period of 2 days. After 2 days, the temporary passcode may no longer be used to access the trading platforms but may be used to access Client Portal for an additional period of 10 days. The Client Portal access, however, is limited solely for the purpose of printing or saving the on-line security card.  

If your window of access to Client Portal using the temporary passcode remains, you may print or save the on-line security card through which full access to both Client Portal and the trading platforms is provided for a period of 21 days. If you are unable to log into Client Portal, you will need to contact your regional Client Services Center for assistance.

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7. I’ve been issued an online security card which has expired

The on-line security card is intended to provide full access to both Client Portal and the trading platforms for a period of 21 days. This time frame, while limited, is intended to provide sufficient opportunity for the account holder to either regain possession of a temporarily unavailable security device or request and receive a replacement device.

If you are unable to log in using the on-line security card, you will need to contact your regional Client Services Center for assistance and to provide information as to the status of your permanent security device.

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8. I’m awaiting delivery of my physical security device and can now no longer log into my account

Depending upon your location, the physical security device should be delivered to the address of record on your account within 2 days in the case of US residents and within 2 weeks for all other accounts. It’s important to note that the permanent devices are set to automatically activate after a set time frame if not yet manually activated by the account holder. If this is the case and you encounter difficulties logging into your account, please contact our Technical Assistance Department at 1-877-442-2757.

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9. I am able to log into Client Portal with my temporary passcode but not the trading platform.

If your window of access to Client Portal using the temporary passcode remains, you may print or save the on-line security card through which full access to both Client Portal and the trading platforms is provided for a period of 21 days.

If you are unable to log into Client Portal, you will need to contact your regional Client Services Center for assistance.

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10. I am in possession of my security device and wish to activate it.

To activate either a replacement device or one which was temporarily unavailable and which required issuance of a temporary passcode, you will need to log into Client Portal and select the reactivate security device menu option. Once reactivated, neither the temporary passcode nor on-line security card will remain operable.

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11. Receiving “BAD CHARACTER” message after entering my user name.

Re-enter your user name and make sure that you do not include any spaces or characters which are not either alpha or numeric (e.g. !@#$%^&*(.,”:...etc.).

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