Login fails due to system clock being too far ahead or behind

This article provides an overview of the "system clock is too far ahead or behind" error message and how to recover and authenticate again.

Issue

Authentication may fail with the following error:

“Could not verify your identity because the system clock is too far ahead or behind and failed the verification window.”

This occurs when the system clock is manually set and drifts outside the allowed verification window. Specifically, authentication fails if the clock is more than 15 minutes ahead or 70 minutes behind the current time.

For example, if the system clock is set 20 minutes ahead and the verification window is 10 minutes, the authentication attempt fails even though only a few minutes have passed in real time. The {{glossary.Authenticator}} relies on system time to validate the request and cannot reconcile the discrepancy.

Error message example:

Solution

This error can be resolved by setting the time and date correctly on that specific device. We recommend having the operating system set the time and date automatically. Still need help? Contact support at support@beyondidentity.com