Let's go through all the flows for which we'll now require the second factor. We've successfully set up MFA devices for our account's root and IAM users. This is another security enhancement as the authentication mechanism can't solely be completed via software, but always requires physical interaction. They work by requiring the user to interact with the device physically, typically by pressing a button, to complete the authentication flow. YubiKeys are a prominent example of a FIDO-capable device. Additionally, it can be a good backup mechanism in the event of a failure or loss of the primary MFA devices.īesides TOTP token hardware devices, there's support for FIDO U2F keys at AWS. Hardware TOTP tokens like SecurID by RSA are a convenient MFA method that doesn't require your phone or an internet connection. The password will be generated via a mathematical algorithm and the internal clock which ensures that the password is both unique and cannot be guessed easily. TOTP token generators work by sharing a secret and the current time to generate a password that can be used one time to complete the authentication that has started with the login credentials. Hardware TOTP Tokens and FIDO Security Keys Everything happens in the security credentials tab after logging into the AWS console with the specific user. Setting it up is exactly equal to the steps shown before for your root user. Each IAM user can and should have their MFA device. The MFA configuration is completely decoupled from the root user. Nevertheless, it's best practice to configure an MFA device for those users. IAM users can be heavily restricted in their possible permissions. You'll have to enter two consecutive codes at the AWS console to activate the virtual device which will then require you to enter both your credentials and a one-time pass for every login to the console. Each of them is available for both Android and iOS devices.Īfter scanning the QR code with your device, the app will start to generate one-time passwords (commonly with 6 digits). Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy. You can use any authenticator you prefer, e.g. By clicking on the latter one, you'll be prompted to choose your preferred method. You'll see options to change your password, create access keys for command line access and assign an MFA device. Enabling a Virtual MFA Device for the Root UserĪfter logging in with your root user, click on the top right of your user and select Security Credentials for being redirected to the security dashboard of your account. Setting up an MFA method at AWS is simple and only takes a few minutes. The most commonly used type is the virtual MFA via an authentication app. This method is discouraged by AWS and many other services as it has potential security vulnerabilities, including a high risk for spoofing and fishing as well as SIM swapping. SMS-delivered MFA codes - A one-time code that is sent to your mobile phone via SMS. YubiKey or RSA security tokens are well-known and widely used MFA hardware devices. Hardware MFA devices - A physical device that also generates a TOTP that's just valid for a specific time frame. Popular are the Google or Microsoft Authenticator or Authy. Virtual MFA devices - A virtual device, often a smartphone app, that's used to generate a time-based one-time password (TOTP). Supported Typesĭifferent MFA types can be used with AWS. And it comes for free and with low effort. MFA is one major security layer to prevent account compromise. Your AWS is one of your most significant responsibilities as a compromised account can ruin your financial future in a short time frame. Importance of MFA at AWSĪs said in the introduction, with great power comes great responsibility. a device (virtual or hardware-based) that issues a one-time passwordĮven if one gets compromised, it won't be enough to access the corresponding service in your name. Multi-Factor Authentication (or short MFA) adds another layer of security to any authentication mechanism. We'll go through the definition of MFA, why it's important to enable it, and which MFA types are currently supported by AWS What Is Multi-Factor Authentication Enabling multi-factor authentication is one crucial step (creating organizations a second □) Introductionīefore we stumble into practice, let's go through the fundamentals of MFA. That's why protecting your account and each IAM user is important. This power comes with the risk of potential misuse. You can provision almost endless computing resources that exceed small data centers. An AWS account comes with unlimited possibilities.
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