Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your Ubuntu system by requiring two forms of identification before granting access. In addition to the usual username and password, 2FA requires an additional piece of information, such as a one-time password (OTP) generated by an authenticator app.
First of all, download the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device
Here are some methods to enable 2FA on Ubuntu:
Install the Google Authenticator PAM plugin:
sudo apt-get update -y
sudo
apt-get install
libpam-google-authenticator -y
Run the google-authenticator command as the user you want to log in (not as root):
sudo google-authenticator
Follow the prompts to set up 2FA. You’ll need an authenticator app (e.g., Google Authenticator or Authy) on your mobile device to scan the QR code.
Edit the vi /etc/pam.d/sshd
file and add the following line at the end.
auth required pam_google_authenticator.so
save the file and exit
Edit the vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config
file
KbdInteractiveAuthentication no > Yes
Edited both the file restart service
systemctl restart sshd.service
Open the Command prompt to access the server
ssh ubuntu@IP_ADDRESS]
Enter the password and the verification code from your Google Authenticator app on your mobile device.
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