Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a security system that allows a multi level authentication to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transactions. This is necessary to protect your data from unauthorized access, when using the Amazon WorkSpaces resources in the cloud.
The objective of MFA is to create a layered defense and make it more difficult for an unauthorized person to access a target such as a physical location, computing device, network or database. If one factor is attacked, then there is still another barrier to breach for the hackers.
Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed desktop computing service in the cloud. It allows customers to easily provision cloud-based desktops that allow end-users to access the documents, applications and resources they need with the device of their choice, including laptops, iPad, Kindle Fire, or Android tablets.
Multi-Factor Authentication support to Amazon Web Services
Amazon Multi-Factor Authentication adds an additional layer of security during the authentication process, that you can apply to your AWS environment. You can enable MFA for your AWS root account or your IAM users
AWS MFA uses an authentication device that continually generates random, six-digit, single-use authentication codes. Users must validate their identity by providing something they know (e.g. password), as well as something they have (e.g. hardware or software generated one-time password (OTP)).
Additionally, Amazon adds support for MFA by using an on-premises Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) server, that users will be able to authenticate themselves using the same mechanism that they already use for other remote access systems of their organization.
So, after MFA has been enabled and configured, the WorkSpaces users will just log in by entering their usual Active Directory user name and password, and then the One-Time Password supplied by either an hardware or a virtual device, just like the smartphone application.
Currently MFA of the WorkSpaces is available for clients on Windows, Mac OS X, Chromebooks, iOS, Kindle, and Android platforms. The Multi-Factor Authentication service is available for free for the AWS account holders.
To know about MFA of the Amazon WorkSpaces, you can reach us on info@sysfore.com or call us at +91-80-4110-5555.