Two-step verification

This section describes how you can use two-step verification to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to Kaspersky Security Center Web Console.

About two-step verification

When two-step verification is enabled for an account, a single-use security code is required, in addition to the user name and password, to log in to Administration Console or Kaspersky Security Center Web Console. With domain authentication enabled, the user only needs to enter the single-use security code.

To use two-step verification, install an authenticator app that generates single-use security codes on the mobile device or computer. You can use any application that supports the Time-based One-time Password algorithm (TOTP), such as:

• Google Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator
• Bitrix24 OTP
• Yandex Key
• Avanpost Authenticator
• Aladdin 2FA

To check if Kaspersky Security Center supports the authenticator app that you want to use, enable two-step verification for all users or for a particular user.

One of the steps suggests that you specify the security code generated by the authenticator app. If it succeeds, then Kaspersky Security Center supports the selected authenticator.

We highly recommend that you save the secret key or QR code and keep it in a safe place. This will help you to restore access to Kaspersky Security Center Web Console in case you lose access to the mobile device.

To secure the usage of Kaspersky Security Center, you can enable two-step verification for your own account and enable two-step verification for all users.

You can exclude accounts from two-step verification. This can be necessary for service accounts that cannot receive a security code for authentication.

Rules and Limitations

To be able to activate two-step verification for all users and deactivate two-step verification for particular users:

• Ensure your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area.
• Enable two-step verification for your account.

To be able to deactivate two-step verification for all users:

• Ensure your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area.
• Log in to Kaspersky Security Center Web Console by using two-step verification.

If two-step verification is enabled for a user account on Kaspersky Security Center Administration Server version 13 or later, the user will not be able to log in to the Kaspersky Security Center Web Console versions 12, 12.1 or 12.2.

Reissuing the secret key

Any user can reissue the secret key used for two-step verification. When a user logs in to the Administration Server with the reissued secret key, the new secret key is saved for the user account. If the user enters the new secret key incorrectly, the new secret key is not saved, and the current secret key remains valid.

A security code has an identifier referred to as issuer name. The security code issuer name is used as an identifier of the Administration Server in the authenticator app. The security code issuer name has a default value that is the same as the name of the Administration Server. You can change the name of the security code issuer name. If you change the security code issuer name, you must issue a new secret key and pass it to the authenticator app.

Scenario: Configuring two-step verification for all users

This scenario describes how to enable two-step verification for all users and how to exclude user accounts from two-step verification. If you did not enable two-step verification for your account before you enable it for other users, the application opens the window for enabling two-step verification for your account, first. This scenario also describes how to enable two-step verification for your own account.

If you enabled two-step verification for your account, you may proceed to the stage of enabling of two-step verification for all users.

Prerequisites

Before you start:

• Make sure that your user account has the Modify object ACLs right of the General features: User permissions functional area for modifying security settings for other users' accounts.
• Make sure that the other users of Administration Server install an authenticator app on their devices.

Stages

Enabling two-step verification for all users proceeds in stages:

1. Installing an authenticator app on a device

   You can install any application that supports the Time-based One-time Password algorithm (TOTP), such as:

   • Google Authenticator
   • Microsoft Authenticator
   • Bitrix24 OTP
   • Yandex Key

   We strongly do not recommend installing the authenticator app on the same device from which the connection to Administration Server is established.

2. Synchronizing the authenticator app time with the time of the device on which Administration Server is installed

   Ensure that the time set in the authenticator app is synchronized with the time of Administration Server.

3. Enabling two-step verification for your account and receiving the secret key for your account

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Enabling two-step verification for your own account
   • For Kaspersky Security Center Web Console: Enabling two-step verification for your own account

   After you enable two-step verification for your account, you can enable two-step verification for all users.

4. Enabling two-step verification for all users

   Users with two-step verification enabled must use it to log in to Administration Server.

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Enabling two-step verification for all users
   • For Kaspersky Security Center Web Console: Enabling two-step verification for all users
5. Editing the name of a security code issuer

   If you have several Administration Servers with similar names, you may have to change the security code issuer names for better recognition of different Administration Servers.

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Editing the name of a security code issuer
   • For Kaspersky Security Center Web Console: Editing the name of a security code issuer
6. Excluding user accounts for which you do not need to enable two-step verification

   If required, you can exclude users from two-step verification. Users with excluded accounts do not have to use two-step verification to log in to Administration Server.

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Excluding accounts from two-step verification
   • For Kaspersky Security Center Web Console: Excluding accounts from two-step verification

Results

Upon completion of this scenario:

• Two-step verification is enabled for your account.
• Two-step verification is enabled for all user accounts of the Administration Server, except for user accounts that were excluded.

Enabling two-step verification for your own account

You can enable two-step verification only for your own account.

Before you enable two-step verification for your account, ensure that an authenticator app is installed on the mobile device. Ensure that the time set in the authenticator app is synchronized with the time set of the device on which Administration Server is installed.

To enable two-step verification for a user account:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of your account.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Authentication security tab.
4. On the Authentication security tab:
   1. Select the Request user name, password, and security code (two-step verification) option. Click the Save button.
   2. In the two-step verification window that opens, click View how to set up two-step verification.

      Enter the secret key in the authenticator app or click View QR code and scan the QR code by the authenticator app on the mobile device to receive one-time security code.

   3. In the two-step verification window, specify the security code generated by the authenticator app, and then click the Check and apply button.
5. Click the Save button.

Two-step verification is enabled for your account.

Enabling required two-step verification for all users

You can enable two-step verification for all users of Administration Server if your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area and if you are authenticated by using two-step verification.

To enable two-step verification for all users:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the Authentication security tab of the properties window, switch the toggle button of the two-step verification for all users option to the enabled position.
3. If you did not enable two-step verification for your account, the application opens the window for enabling two-step verification for your own account.
   1. In the two-step verification window, click View how to set up two-step verification.
   2. Enter the secret key in the authenticator application manually or click View QR code and scan the QR code by the authenticator application on the mobile device to receive one-time security code.
   3. In the two-step verification window, specify the security code generated by the authenticator application, and then click the Check and apply button.

Two-step verification is enabled for all users. From now on, users of the Administration Server, including the users that were added after enabling two-step verification for all users, have to configure two-step verification for their accounts, except for users that are excluded from two-step verification.

Disabling two-step verification for a user account

You can disable two-step verification for your own account, as well as for an account of any other user.

You can disable two-step verification of another user's account if your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area and if you are authenticated by using two-step verification.

To disable two-step verification for a user account:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of the internal user account for whom you want to disable two-step verification. This may be your own account or an account of any other user.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
4. On the Account protection tab, select the Request only user name and password option if you want to disable two-step verification for a user account.
5. Click the Save button.

Two-step verification is disabled for the user account.

If you want to restore access for a user that cannot log in to Kaspersky Security Center Web Console by using two-step verification, disable two-step verification for this user account, and then select the Request only user name and password option as described above. After that, log in to Kaspersky Security Center Web Console under the user account for which you disabled two-step verification, and then enable verification again.

Disabling required two-step verification for all users

You can disable required two-step verification for all users if two-step verification is enabled for your account and your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area. If two-step verification is not enabled for your account, you must enable two-step verification for your account before disabling it for all users.

To disable two-step verification for all users:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the Authentication security tab of the properties window, switch the toggle button of the two-step verification for all users option to disabled position.
3. Enter the credentials of your account in the authentication window.

Two-step verification is disabled for all users. Disabling two-step verification for all users does not applied to specific accounts for which two-step verification was previously enabled separately.

Excluding accounts from two-step verification

You can exclude user accounts from two-step verification if you have the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area.

If a user account is excluded from the list of two-step verification for all users, this user does not have to use two-step verification.

Excluding accounts from two-step verification can be necessary for service accounts that cannot pass the security code during authentication.

If you want to exclude some user accounts from two-step verification:

1. You must perform Active Directory polling in order to refresh the list of Administration Server users, if you want to exclude Active Directory accounts.
2. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

3. On the Authentication security tab of the properties window, in the two-step verification exclusions table click the Add button.
4. In the window that opens:
   1. Select the user accounts that you want to exclude.
   2. Click the OK button.

The selected user accounts are excluded from two-step verification.

Generating a new secret key

You can generate a new secret key for a two-step verification for your account only if you are authorized by using two-step verification.

To generate a new secret key for a user account:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of the user account for whom you want to generate a new secret key for two-step verification.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
4. In the Account protection tab, click the Generate a new secret key link.
5. In the two-step verification window that opens, specify a new security key generated by the authenticator app.
6. Click the Check and apply button.

A new secret key is generated for the user.

If you lose the mobile device, you can install an authenticator app on another mobile device and generate a new secret key to restore access to Kaspersky Security Center Web Console.

Editing the name of a security code issuer

You can have several identifiers (they are called issuers) for different Administration Servers. You can change the name of a security code issuer in case, for example, if the Administration Server already uses a similar name of security code issuer for another Administration Server. By default, the name of a security code issuer is the same as the name of the Administration Server.

After you change the security code issuer name you have to reissue a new secret key and pass it to the authenticator app.

To specify a new name of security code issuer:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
3. On the Account protection tab, click the Edit link.

   The Edit Security code issuer section opens.

4. Specify a new security code issuer name.
5. Click the OK button.

A new security code issuer name is specified for the Administration Server.