Your CAD models, PLM data, and product intelligence are among your company’s most valuable digital assets. Yet many organisations still rely on a single username-and-password combination to protect them. Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform closes that gap by adding a second, time-based verification step to every login — so a stolen password alone is no longer enough to get in.

As an authorised Dassault Systèmes Value Added Reseller (VAR), IDSPL works with engineering teams across Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, and Rajasthan to harden their 3DEXPERIENCE environments. This guide walks you through the complete two-part process: enabling 2FA as an administrator, and activating it as an end user.

Why 2FA Matters for Your 3DEXPERIENCE Environment

Before diving into the steps, it’s worth understanding what’s at stake. A 3DEXPERIENCE tenant typically houses:

  • Proprietary CAD geometry and design IP
  • Bill of materials (BOM) and product lifecycle data
  • Collaboration history across engineering, manufacturing, and vendors

A single compromised credential can expose all of it. 2FA adds a Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) layer — generated by an app like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy — so access requires something you know (your password) and something you have (your phone).

Part 1: Administrator Enablement

Before individual users can activate 2FA, a platform administrator must first turn the feature on tenant-wide. If you’re an end user, skip ahead to Part 2.

  1. Log in to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using administrator credentials.
  2. Open the Control Center — navigate to the 3DPassport Control Center widget from your compass or dashboard.
  3. Access Security Settings — on the left-hand navigation pane, select the Security
  4. Enable 2FA — click on 2-Factor Auth from the available options.
  5. Toggle Activation — turn on Allow users to use 2-Factor Authentication.

Once this setting is live, individual users in your tenant can proceed to configure 2FA on their own accounts.

Part 2: User Setup & Activation

With 2FA enabled tenant-wide, each user configures it individually on their own 3DEXPERIENCE ID. You’ll need a TOTP-compliant authenticator app installed on your mobile device before you begin.

  1. Access your profile — log in to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, click your profile icon in the top-right corner, and select My Profile.
  2. Navigate to preferences — click the Account (or Preferences) tab, then select 2-Factor Authentication.
  3. Initiate setup — you’ll see a notice that 2FA is currently inactive. Click Activate.
  4. Configure security questions — choose and answer three security questions, then click Save.

Important note on recovery: These security questions are your fallback if you ever lose your mobile device or authenticator app — they’re the only way to recover your account and bypass the 2FA lock. Choose answers you’ll remember but that aren’t easily guessable.

  1. Link your authenticator app:
    • The platform displays a secure QR code on screen.
    • Open your authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, etc.).
    • Tap the + icon, select Scan a QR Code, and scan your monitor.
    • The app generates a 6-digit TOTP code.
  2. Validate and finalize — enter the 6-digit code into the Current code displayed by your application field, then click Validate.
  3. Complete setup — on the confirmation screen, click Back to return to your workspace. Avoid clicking “Deactivate” or “Transfer” at this stage.

Logging In Going Forward

From your next login onward, enter your standard username and password as usual, then supply the current 6-digit code from your authenticator app when prompted.

Tip: On a trusted primary workstation, checking the “Trust this Computer” box lets you securely bypass the daily 2FA prompt on that specific device — a convenient balance between security and workflow speed.

Need Help Rolling Out 2FA Across Your Organisation?

If you’re managing a larger 3DEXPERIENCE deployment — across multiple sites, roles, or user groups — IDSPL can help you plan a secure, low-disruption rollout of 2FA and other 3DPassport security controls. As a Dassault Systèmes VAR with offices in Gurugram, Noida, Mohali, and Ludhiana, we support engineering teams throughout North India with SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform administration.

Contact IDSPL to talk to our 3DEXPERIENCE support team.

By Ishan Thakur | Ideas Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (IDSPL)