Configuring Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

In addition to a password that is required for users to authenticate to AWS, it is recommended to implement MFA to add a second layer of authentication. This is best practice for your AWS root account and any other user accounts that have elevated privileges.

By using MFA, you are required to enter a randomly generated 6-digit number once you have entered your password when using the Management Console. This 6-digit number changes very frequently, making it difficult to compromise. It is very easy to set up MFA for a user so let me run through it:

1. From within the IAM dashboard of the AWS Management Console, select Users and then the user requiring MFA.
2. Click on the Security Credentials tab and you will notice under Sign-in Credentials that it states Not assigned for your MFA device:

3. Click on Manage. Here, you can then select your chosen device for using MFA. I will use Google Authenticator, which is a simple app I have on...