Two-factor authentication (2FA)

In AIR (Settings > Security > Authentication), two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature designed to enhance user account protection by requiring two forms of verification when logging in. This adds an additional layer of security beyond the traditional username and password combination, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Some key points about 2FA in AIR:

• LDAP User Compatibility with 2FA: AIR supports two-factor authentication (2FA) for LDAP users. You can easily configure 2FA directly from the account settings within AIR, making the setup process straightforward and efficient for centralized user management systems.

• Administrators can enforce two-factor authentication (2FA) for all users. This uniform security policy enhances overall security by requiring all users to authenticate with an additional method, such as a one-time password (OTP) sent to a mobile device or generated by an authenticator app.

• Individual 2FA Setup and Reset: Users can enable two-factor authentication (2FA) independently in 'Account > Setup Two Factor Authentication'. Global Admin and users with the "user update" privilege can reset 2FA.

Two-factor authentication: Set Up

• Enhanced Security Posture: By enabling 2FA, AIR significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even in the event of compromised credentials. This is a critical step in safeguarding sensitive investigation data and maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of your forensic and cybersecurity operations.

• User-Friendly Configuration: The integration of 2FA in AIR is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for administrators to enable and enforce 2FA without complex configuration steps.

• If you have activated the AIR SSO feature, this will override 2FA.

Troubleshooting 2FA Issues: Time Synchronization

If you are experiencing issues with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in AIR, it may often be due to time synchronization problems on your system. Ensuring your system's time is correctly synchronized with an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server is crucial for the proper functioning of 2FA.

Steps to Check Time Synchronization:

1. Run the timedatectl Command: Open a terminal and execute the following command:

   timedatectl

2. Verify the Output: After running the command, check the output for the following two lines:

   • System clock synchronized: yes

   • NTP service: active

   Here's an example of what the correct output should look like:

3. What to Do if the Time is Not Accurate: If your system clock is not synchronized or the NTP service is not active, this could be the root cause of your 2FA issues. To resolve this, you may need to synchronize your system's time using NTP.

How to Synchronize Your System Time:

1. Enable NTP Synchronization: You can synchronize your system's time by running:

   sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

2. Re-check the Time Status: After enabling NTP, re-run the timedatectl command to ensure that the system clock is now synchronized and the NTP service is active.

By ensuring your system's time is accurate and synchronized, you can help prevent potential issues with 2FA in AIR. If the issue persists even after correcting the time, please contact our support team for further assistance.