SURFconext Strong Authentication allows SURFsecureID gives institutions to secure access to cloud-based services linked to SURFconext more effectively. Better security is particularly critical for cloud services handling more sensitive data. Strong authentication is available at an additional fee for all institutions in higher education and research that are already connected to SURFconext.
Institutions increasingly use cloud services that handle sensitive data, such as eHRM, Student Information Systems and applications with patent-sensitive research data or privacy-sensitive patient information. Such services require stronger forms of authentication than a username and password in order to limit the risk of any security incidents.

Institutions can use SURFsecureID in two ways.

The availability of Strong Authentication functionality enables institutions to enforce strong authentication for cloud services linked to SURFconext. SURFconext acts as a link between the institutions and service providers. Institutions can select the services they wish to secure with stronger authentication.

Two-step login

Both can be used at the same time:

1. In addition to an existing institutional login. SURFsecureID is only used for the 2nd factor. This is especially interesting for use by a central (authentication) facility such as ADFS, Citrix or F5 BIGIP. This facility handles the 1st factor itself and calls SURFsecureID for the 2nd factor if necessary. This makes strong authentication available for a range of internal and external (cloud) services. This option is also called Second Factor Only, especially in the more technical documentation.
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2. For a (cloud) service. The service outsources the complete login (ie both the 1st and the 2nd factor) to SURFconext. The 1st factor (username / password) via the IdP and the 2nd factor via the available SURFsecureID tokens.
   
   The service (Service Provider, or SP) is connected to SURFconext which is configured to call SURFsecureID for this service. This makes it especially easy for services already connected to SURFconext to use SURFsecureID as this is transparant for the service. The service can use either SAML or OpenID Connect to connect to SURFconext. You can make use of step-up policies in SURFconext to only request SURFsecureID for specific users (attribute based) or locations (IP adres based). Also, the service can request a specific LoA level in the request to SURFconext (NB: before june 2021, this was only possible when the service was connected to SURFsecureID directly).
   
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SURFsecureID gives access to services via five different types of tokens: SURFconext Strong Authentication allows access to cloud services via SMS, Tiqr (smartphone app) or , Azure MFA, YubiKey (USB hardware token) or FIDO2 token. An institution can choose which tokens they want to allow for their users. Users first log in with their institutional account and , as an additional step, are then prompted to confirm their identity with one of the means of authentication. The result their token. In this way there is a second layer of security: authentication requires both entry of account details and the use of an item in the user's possession. 

Registrer once for secure access

How does SURFconext Strong Authentication work? Users must first register their telephone (SMS or Tiqr app) or Yubikey USB token for their account. The user will have to visit their institution's service desk once to have an authorized employee verify his identity who will then bind their token to the user's account.Only then will the user's telephone or USB key be activated.

From that point on, the user can log in to any services designated for strong authentication using the two-step login procedure. That makes SURFconext Strong Authentication convenient for users, yet secure for institutions and service providers.

More info

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SURFsecureID is available at an additional fee for all institutions connected to SURFconext.

How does token registration work?

An institution can either allow their users to perform self-service token registration, or have a servicedesk validate the user's identity before a token can be used. These different processes result in a different level of assurance (LoA) for the registered token.

Self-service token registration:

1. The user registers his preferred token (SMS, Tiqr, Azure MFA, Yubikey or FIDO2) in the registration portal
2. The user registers a recovery method (SMS or recovery code).
3. Now the user can log in to any service with a level of assurance lower or equal to LoA1.5.

Token registration via the institution's servicedesk:

1. The user registers his preferred token (SMS, Tiqr, Azure MFA, Yubikey or FIDO2) in the registration portal
2. User must visit his institution's service desk to have an authorised employee verify his identity.
3. This employee will bind the user's token to his account. After that the user's token will be activated.
4. Now the user can log in to any service with a level of assurance lower or equal to LoA2 or LoA3 (depending on the registered token).

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