Skip to main content

Multi factors authentication

Contents

What is a Multi factors authentication?

There are 3 kinds of authentication factors:

  • Something you know --> password, pin...

  • Something you possess --> smartphone, security key, certificate...

  • Something you are --> fingerprint, face, eye iris, voice...

A Multi factors authentication is the combination of 2 factors. Example: login + password + email one time password = MFA

BUT a strong authentication is the combination of 2 different kinds of factors.
The previous example is not a strong authentication
Example: login + password + mobile phone application one time password = strong authentication

Existing 2nd factors on Trustelem

Trustelem factors, used in addition to the password, are:

  • SMS: users receive a SMS with a code on their mobile phone - additional cost, not available by default

  • TOTP Authenticator: user can use any kind of Time based One Time Password (TOTP) which is a code provide:

    • by an application (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator...)
    • or a device (usually setup with NFC).
  • WALLIX Authenticator: the mobile (IOS/Android) and desktop application made by Trustelem; if the network is up the user receives a push notification, otherwise he can use a TOTP

mfa.png

Notes:

Possible authentications depending on the protocols

Web logging - Admin page + SAML / OpenID Connect applications

The user provides his Trustelem login + password, then the 2nd factor.
If he has multiple 2nd factors, he can choose to use another one:

LDAP applications

The LDAP protocol is not designed to do MFA. But with Trustelem, there are 2 ways of doing it:

  • You can use push notifications with LDAP.
    The user provides his Trustelem login + password in the application, then Trustelem sends a push notification and answer to the LDAP request after the notification validation.
    To make it works, be sure to set a response time / timeout long enough on your application.

  • You can use a code with LDAP (TOTP or OTP).
    The user provides his Trustelem login, and in the same form the password and the code sticked together.

  • You can't use security keys: the protocol can't read USB device.

Radius applications

Radius authentications have lot of possibilities:

  • login + password + 2nd factor using Radius
    The user provides his Trustelem login + password, then his 2nd factor
  • login + password using another protocol + 2nd factor using Radius
    The user provides a login + password from another source, then Trustelem 2nd factor
  • login + password then no answer from Trustelem before the validation of a push notification
    The user provides his Trustelem login + password then validate a push notification
  • login + password and the code sticked together
    The user provides his Trustelem login + password and code sticked together
  • You can't use security keys: the protocol can't read USB device.

Setup

To setup the allowed factors, , go on Trustelem admin page, Security settings and Authentication factors

The first part, Manage authentication factors, has 2 parameters: Login, and User can reset token authfactors.PNG

Login parameter

For a chosen factor, you can activate the option login for all users or for specific users.
When it's done:

  • Users can use the selected factor for a multi factors authentication.
  • An administrator can do a manual enrollment for users.
User can reset token parameter

For a chosen factor, you can activate the option User can reset token for all users or for specific users.
When it's done, the defined users can use their dashboard to reset this factor:

https://mydomain.trustelem.com/#security

mfa3.png

When you have enabled the chosen factors, you can start the enrollment.

Manual enrollment using dashboard

This has to be done by a Trustelem administrator enroll1.PNG

Manual enrollment using email

This has to be done by a Trustelem administrator. You can send the enrollment link to Trustelem Primary Email or choose another one. enroll2.PNG

Enrollment campaign
  • The enrollment can be using campaigns.
  • Users in the selected groups will be involved in the enrollment process only if they don't already have a 2nd factor.
  • If you select multiple factors, users will have a selector to enroll only one of them.
  • if you enable Automatic enroll by email emails with the enrollment link are sent automatically. If you don't, you have buttons to do it manually.
  • If you enable the Automatic enroll during login, every time users authenticate on Trustelem login page, they will have a window asking them to enroll a new factor.
    They can skip the enrollment, but the window will continue to appear after the next authentications until they do the enrollment.

mfa2.png

Create an access-rules for MFA

If you already have users and applications, you can now create access-rules in order to force multi factors authentication.
You can find the detail using the URL: access rules