One electronic identity, two certificates
Founded in 2005 by the Luxembourg government and the ABBL (Association of Banks and Bankers in Luxembourg), LuxTrust aims to guarantee the digital identity and security of businesses and citizens’ electronic data. In concrete terms, LuxTrust enables you to have an electronic identity consisting of two certificates. The first is an authentication certificate. Thanks to this certificate, you can have access to any secure web portal on which you are registered: online services offered by your bank, your insurance company’s platform, government applications (eGov) via MyGuichet or the national agency e-Santé that shares and exchanges your health data (results of your analyses, history of your medical file, etc.). The connection, which guarantees to your correspondent (the application provider) that it is you and not someone trying to abuse your identity, is based on the principle of strong authentication. Also known as multi-factor authentication, it uses two or more of the following elements: what you know (password, code, secret image), what you hold (unique password generation device), what you are (fingerprint, retinal) and what you do (name of the site, amount, type of action).
The second certificate is an electronic signature certificate. It enables you to electronically sign all your documents and transactions online with the same legal value as a handwritten signature. You can apply your electronic signature to anything that requires a signature or an official stamp: from approval of a quote for home improvement work and order confirmations to non-disclosure agreements, contracts and accident declarations[1].
As an expat or a newcomer, you can obtain a LuxTrust identity (and certificates) for free when opening a bank account at one of LuxTrust partners, i.e. most retail banks in Luxembourg. You can also order it directly from www.luxtrust.lu but, in this case, you have to pay a fee.
Simplify your life with the LuxTrust Mobile app!
Until recently, the main device used by LuxTrust users was the Token, an electronic device the size of a key ring that generates a one-time password (OTP). But it will change in a few months. By 2021, most Luxembourg banks will prioritize one authentication device for all their online services: the LuxTrust Mobile app. With LuxTrust Mobile, a physical device such as the Token is no longer necessary. The app helps you to obtain the OTP required to confirm or finalize transactions or operations.
The LuxTrust Mobile app offers three main functionalities adapted to various security contexts.
Scan mode. You scan the QR Code (mosaic image) with your smartphone on your computer or tablet screen whenever you connect to a website or perform an online operation. The app decrypts the image and generates an OTP required to confirm the process. All you have to do is to insert the 8-digit code on the website.
Push notification. Instead of scanning your QR code to generate the OTP, you can allow LuxTrust Mobile to send you a notification on your mobile phone when connected or carrying out a transaction. The app will enable you to review the operation’s details and then accept or cancel it by opening the notification.
App2App mode. You tap on the QR code displayed on your mobile phone screen. The LuxTrust Mobile app will automatically open and ask you to confirm or cancel the action using your passcode, fingerprint or FaceID.
You can download and install the LuxTrust Mobile app for free. To activate it, you have to hold an electronic identity linked to a Token or a Scan. If you own another LuxTrust device such as the Smartcard or the Signing Stick or if you are not a LuxTrust client, you have to order a LuxTrust identity from www.luxtrust.lu directly.
For more information, you can consult LuxTrust websites (www.luxtrust.lu and www.luxtrust.com) or the ING Luxembourg FAQ Online Banking.
[1] All the LuxTrust registration authorities do not yet issue the signature certificate.