Amazon WorkSpaces Get Multi-Factor Authentication Security

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is beefing up the security of its desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) offering—a service the public cloud company launched last November to compete in the growing virtual desktop market.

According to a recent blog post from Jeff Barr, chief evangelist at Amazon Web Services, Amazon WorkSpaces now supports multi-factor authentication using an on-premise RADIUS server.

“In plain English, your WorkSpaces users will now be able to authenticate themselves using the same mechanism that they already use for other forms of remote access to your organization’s resources,” Barr wrote.

Barr also noted that once the feature has been enabled and configured, users can log into WorkSpaces by entering their Active Directory usernames and passwords, as well as a one-time passcode supplied by either a hardware or software token.

The multi-factor authentication support is included in the price of WorkSpaces, which typically runs $35 to $75 per WorkSpace per month. The RADIUS server and tokens are, of course, not included, but it could be an opportunity for channel partners to help their customers integrate multi-factor authentication with their Amazon-based virtual desktops.

Barr also hinted that this is just the beginning for multi-factor authentication support for WorkSpaces.

“As is the case with every part of AWS, we plan to enhance this feature over time. Although I’ll stick to our usual policy of not spilling any beans before their time, I can say that we expect to add support for additional authentication options such as smart cards and certificates,” he wrote.

This follows up on last month’s WorkSpaces announcement related to integration with on-premise Active Directory. As Barr noted, the update enabled users to search for and select the desired Organization Unit (OU) from their Active Directory.