• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Compliance, IT Infrastructure, Network Security, News

AWS Identity and Access Management Supports Multiple MFA Devices

AWS is making it possible to add multiple MFA devices to AWS Account root users and AWS Identity and Access Management users.

November 17, 2022 Zachary Comeau Leave a Comment

AWS S3
stock.adobe.com/Sundry Photography

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is making it possible to add multiple multi-factor authentication devices to AWS Account root users and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) users in their AWS accounts in a move to help limit access management to highly privileged principals.

Previously, organizations could only have one MFA device associated with root users or IAM users, but now they can associate up to eight MFA devices, the company announced this week.

The cloud services provider recommends against using root users or IAM users to manage access to accounts, and instead organizations should use AWS IAM Identity Center, the company’s successor to AWS Single Sign-on, to manage access to accounts.

AWS says it supports three types of MFA devices or IAM: FIDO security keys, virtual authenticator applications and time-based one-time password (TOTP) hardware tokens. Different types of MFA devices can be associated with an IAM principal.

According to AWS, these are the use cases for using multiple MFA devices with an IAM principal:

  • In the event of a lost, stolen, or inaccessible MFA device, users can use one of the remaining MFA devices to access the account without performing account recovery. AWS recommends disassociating the lost or stolen device form the root users or IAM users it’s associated with.
  • Geographically distributed or hybrid teams can use hardware-based MFA to access AWS without having to ship a device or coordinating physical exchange of a device between employees.
  • If the holder of an MFA device isn’t available, organizations can maintain access to root users and IAM users by using a different MFA device associated with an IAM principal.
  • Organizations can store additional MFA devices in a secure physical location while retaining physical access to another MFA device for redundancy.

This feature is available now in all AWS Regions, except AWS GovCloud (US) Regions AWS China (Beijing) Region, operated by Sinnet, and the AWS (Ningxia) Region, operated by NWCD, the company says.

Learn more in this AWS blog post.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: AWS, Multi-Factor Authentication

Related Content:

  • FTC Ring FTC Accuses Ring of Watching Private Videos, Poor…
  • Threat Detection Trends, 2023 Hacking Trends, Expel New Email Rules, MFA Bypass Are Top Hacking…
  • Lucidworks logo Lucidworks Strengthens Partnership with Google Cloud
  • Crowdstrike Charlotte AI CrowdStrike Launches Virtual Security Assistant Charlotte AI

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Download TechDecisions' Blueprint Series report on Security Awareness now!Blueprint Series: Why Your Security Awareness Program is Probably Falling Short

    Learn about the evolution of phishing attacks and best practices for security awareness programs to ensure your organization is properly prepared to defend against them in this report from TechDecisions' Blueprint Series.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the FREE Tech Decisions eNewsletter

Sign up Today!

Latest Downloads

Download TechDecisions' Blueprint Series report on Security Awareness now!
Blueprint Series: Why Your Security Awareness Program is Probably Falling Short

Learn about the evolution of phishing attacks and best practices for security awareness programs to ensure your organization is properly prepared t...

Workplace Collaboration Tools for Corporate Spaces
Workplace Collaboration Tools for Corporate Spaces

From lobbies and shared spaces to conference rooms and multipurpose facilities, you need high-performing AV technology to effectively share informa...

ChatGPT, generative AI, enterprise, workplace
Blueprint Series: ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Workplace

This latest release of the TechDecisions Blueprint Series explores the new phenomenon of tools such as ChatGPT and how IT leaders should go about d...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!
Sharp Microsoft Collaboration HQ Logo

Learn More About the
Windows Collaboration Display

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Subscribe to the Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Media Solutions & Advertising
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.