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Two factor authentication

Two-factor authentication for Windows logons

With the sophistication of security breaches increasing every day, relying only on usernames and passwords to secure users' accounts is no longer an option. It's essential to add additional layers of security to filter out unauthorized users. This is possible using two-factor authentication (2FA), a method in which users' identities are verified with additional authentication methods like biometrics, Google Authenticator, and YubiKey.

Implementing 2FA for Windows logons with ADSelfService Plus

With ADSelfService Plus' 2FA for Windows logon feature enabled, users have to authenticate themselves in two successive stages to access their Windows machines. The first level of authentication happens using their usual Windows AD credentials. For the second level of authentication, admins can choose from the wide range of authentication factors that ADSelfService Plus offers, including the following:

  1. Biometric authentication (fingerprint/facial recognition)
  2. Duo Security
  3. Microsoft Authenticator
  4. Google Authenticator
  1. YubiKey authentication
  2. Email verification
  3. SMS verification

Find the complete list of supported authenticators here.

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ADSelfService Plus offers 20 different authentication factors for admins to choose from. These ensure that even if an unauthorized user gains access to a user's credentials, they still cannot gain access to the user's machine.

How 2FA for Windows logons works

  • When configured, users logging in to their Windows machines will first need their AD domain credentials to prove their identities.
  • Next, users must authenticate themselves using the time-sensitive authentication code sent to their SMS or email or through a third-party authentication provider. Depending on the administrator's configurations, they may need to authenticate themselves through one or more methods.
  • Finally, users are logged in to their Windows machines once they have successfully authenticated themselves.
  • The 2FA process is prompted even for RDP logons, similar to local logons when configured.

How 2FA for Windows logons works

How 2FA for Windows logons works

Customize Windows 2FA for your organization

Admins can customize ADSelfService Plus' Windows 2FA feature to suit their organization's needs as follows:

  • Different numbers of authentication factors can be configured for different users based on the OUs and groups to which they belong.
  • Certain authentication factors can be made mandatory.
  • Selected users can be allowed to skip the 2FA process when a trusted device is used. A trusted device is a device that a user has already used to go through the 2FA process. Trust is built only for a particular number of days, after which the user must re-authenticate for the same device.

Machine-based 2FA

Machine-based 2FA is a feature that ADSelfService Plus offers in which 2FA is triggered during logon based on the device's policy settings and not the user's account settings. When this feature is enabled, all users logging on to a particular machine must prove their identities using 2FA. Admins can configure authentication methods for device-based 2FA from a range of authenticators similar to those available in ADSelfService Plus' Windows logon 2FA feature. Learn more

2FA for Windows UAC

ADSelfService Plus provides 2FA for Windows User Account Control (UAC) to secure elevated system activities performed on standard user accounts. When this feature is enabled, 2FA will be prompted for all UAC credential prompts, and the user will be able to perform the administrative action only upon successful identity verification. ADSelfService Plus offers multiple authentication factors for Windows UAC 2FA. This feature is compatible with Windows 7 and later and Windows Server 2008 and later. Learn more

Offline 2FA

Offline 2FA is supported by ADSelfService Plus for Windows machines to ensure the security of remote workers and users who have no internet connectivity or when the ADSelfService Plus server is unreachable. Administrators can configure one or more 2FA factors that users can authenticate with during logon. Users are required to enroll in the appropriate authenticators while online, in order to access their machines when they are offline. Learn more

2FA for remote desktops

ADSelfService Plus provides 2FA for RDP, which secures remote Windows logons with additional authentication methods. It allows admins to prompt 2FA for RDP connections to the client machine (also known as the host machine) or the target machine. On enabling the RDP client-based 2FA, IP-based conditional access can be achieved for RDP logins. ADSelfService Plus allows admins to customize the authenticators to be prompted for RDP 2FA from the multiple authenticators it offers.

System requirements for the ADSelfService Plus 2FA login agent

The following are the Windows operating system versions that the ADSelfService Plus login agent supports for Windows logon and RDP access.

Supported versions

Servers

  • Windows Server 2022
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2008 R2
  • Windows Server 2008

Clients

  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 7
  • Windows Vista

Apart from the Windows operating system, ADSelfService Plus supports 2FA for macOS and Linux operating systems.

Benefits of enabling 2FA for Windows logon using ADSelfService Plus

 

Improved security

Windows 2FA ensures improved security, so that even if the passwords are compromised, unauthorized users will still need access to the email or phone of an authorized user to be able to log in to the Windows machines.

 

Wide variety of authenticators

There are around twenty different authenticators in ADSelfService Plus, giving IT administrators a wide variety of options to choose from to set up an authentication mechanism for their users.

 

Different authenticators for different users

ADSelfService Plus also offers administrators the ability to configure 2FA based on users' OUs, groups, and domain memberships. So users with different privileges can have different levels of authentication.

 

Device trust options for an enhanced user experience

With ADSelfService Plus, users can enable the trusted devices option to quickly log in to their machines without performing 2FA for a specified duration after initial identity verification.

Boost IT security with Windows logon 2FA

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FAQs

1. What is Windows two-factor authentication?

Windows two-factor authentication (2FA) means securing logons to Windows machines using more than one factor of authentication to verify a user's identity before giving them network access.

2. Does my organization need 2FA for Windows logins?

Yes, by implementing 2FA for Windows logins, you can add extra layers of security to users' machines. Guarding machine logons using only a single factor—traditionally a username and password—leaves them vulnerable to attacks. However, incorporating additional authentication measures fortifies machines in your organization and safeguards them against breaches and attacks.

3. What Windows 2FA solution can I implement in my organization?

You can safeguard Windows machines in your organization by implementing ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus' Windows logon 2FA for local and remote logons. Apart from Windows machines, ADSelfService Plus provides 2FA for Linux and macOS machines as well. You can also enjoy other 2FA features of ADSelfService Plus, like:

To gain a better understanding of ADSelfService Plus' 2FA capability, please schedule a personalized web demo with our solution experts or download a free, 30-day trial to explore on your own.

4. What are the different types of authenticators that ADSelfService Plus provides for Active Directory 2FA?

ADSelfService Plus features 19 different authenticators for Windows logon 2FA. You can select from a range of authenticators, like YubiKey, biometrics, smart card, Microsoft Authenticator, and Duo Security, to provide additional security through Windows logon 2FA for your users.

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