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  • Lab
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    • Cloud
    • Security
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Labs

Configure SSH to Work with Google Authenticator

In this lab, we are required to configure SSH to interact with the Google Authenticator. The server is configured so that it only asks for a password. That needs to be changed after the first usage. Our job is to add this additional authentication step. First, we need to install and initialize the Google authenticator. Then, we need to configure SSH to make use of the authenticator. When everything is set up, make sure to perform a verification that the configuration is valid.

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Lab platform
Lab Info
Level
Intermediate
Last updated
Jul 05, 2022
Duration
45m

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Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Configure Key-Based Login

    Generate Private/Public Key Pair on the Client

    ssh-keygen
    
    Copy the Public Key Over to the Server
    • From client: /Path/to/your/public/key/file
    • To server: /home/cloud_user/.ssh/authorized_keys
  2. Challenge

    SSH Configuration
    sudo vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    
    PubkeyAuthentication yes
    PasswordAuthentication no
    AuthenticationMethods publickey,keyboard-interactive
    
    
    ESC
    :wq
    ENTER
    
  3. Challenge

    Configure the Repository, Then Install and Initialize the Google Authenticator
    sudo yum install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm
    

    Install Google Authenticator

    sudo yum install google-authenticator
    

    Initialize Google Authenticator

    sudo google-authenticator
    
  4. Challenge

    Further SSH configuration
    sudo vim /etc/pam.d/sshd
    
    auth required pam_google_authenticator.so
    
    sudo systemctl restart sshd
    
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