Beyond Passwords: Procyon's Advanced 2FA Solution

Static credentials, such as passwords, SSH keys, and AWS Secrets, pose inherent risks and are less secure due to their vulnerabilities. Additionally, since these credentials often remain unchanged and are stored in the file system or human memory, they are frequently shared among developers rather than configuring new ones when granting access to new individuals for the same resource. Recognizing these concerns, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) introduced guidance on two-factor authentication (2FA), which requires the utilization of two out of three factors: something you know, something you have, and something you are.

However, despite this guidance, the industry continues to heavily rely on passwords as the "something you know" factor, despite their numerous weaknesses. In many instances, the only additional factor implemented is "something you have," often relying on SMS (which is susceptible to SIM swapping attacks) or authenticator apps (following the RFC 6238 standard, which employs a time-based one-time password algorithm). While these approaches may be adequate for consumer access, they fall short when it comes to securing privileged access to production cloud resources.

To bolster security, it is crucial for the industry to adopt more robust solutions that address these limitations. This entails moving away from passwords as the primary factor and embracing technologies such as Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) or Secure Enclaves for privileged access. These technologies provide the "something you have" factor and can be further fortified by incorporating biometric authentication as the "something you are" factor. By combining these elements, a truly advanced and secure 2FA solution can be achieved.

Procyon PAM solution aligns with these principles, offering customers a next-generation Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution with advanced 2FA capabilities. For additional information, please visit www.procyon.ai.