Configuring Two-Factor Authentication for Forcepoint VPN

You can easily set up Forcepoint VPN two-factor authentication (2FA) with Protectimus’s seamless integration process, which takes only a few minutes to configure. By incorporating MFA as an additional layer of security, the Forcepoint VPN system allows only authorized users to gain access, providing a stronger defense against potential cyber threats.

In today’s world, where remote work is becoming increasingly common, it’s critical to have a secure remote access system. Protectimus multifactor authentication solution for Forcepoint VPN ensures that even if a user’s login credentials are compromised, their access to the Forcepoint VPN remains protected. Two-factor authentication provides a robust defense against potential cyber threats incuding phishing, bruteforce, social engineering, MITM and data spoofing attacks, ensuring your organization’s data and resources are kept secure.

Protectimus allows secure access to your Forcepoint VPN by providing multi-factor authentication (MFA) using the Protectimus RADIUS server.

The scheme of work of the Protectimus solution for Forcepoint VPN two-factor authentication is presented below.

1. How Forcepoint VPN 2FA Works

Protectimus Two-Factor Authentication Solution for Forcepoint VPN provides an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access to your Forcepoint VPN.

Once you enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Forcepoint server, your users will use two different authentication factors to get access to their accounts.

1. The first factor is username and password (something the user knows);
2. The second factor is a one-time password generated with the help of a hardware OTP token or an app on the smartphone (something the user owns).

To hack a Forcepoint VPN protected with two-factor authentication (2FA/MFA), a hacker needs to get a standard password and a one-time password at once. And they only have 30 seconds to intercept a one-time password. It is almost impossible, which makes two-factor authentication so effective against most hacking attacks.

2. How to Enable 2FA for Forcepoint VPN

You can set up multi-factor authentication (2FA) for Forcepoint VPN with Protectimus using the RADIUS protocol:

1. Get registered with Protectimus SAAS Service or install the On-Premise 2FA Platform and configure basic settings.
2. Install and configure Protectimus RADIUS Server.
3. Add Protectimus as RADIUS Server for Forcepoint VPN.

2.1. Get Registered and Configure Basic Protectimus Settings

1. Register with the Protectimus Cloud Service and activate API or install the Protectimus On-Premise Platform (if you install Protectimus Platform on Windows, check the Radius box during the installation).
2. Add Resource.
3. Add Users.
4. Add Tokens or activate Users’ Self Service Portal.
5. Assign Tokens to Users.
6. Assign Tokens with Users to the Resource.

2.2. Install and Configure Protectimus RADIUS Server

Detailed instructions for installing and configuring the Protectimus RADIUS Server for Forcepoint VPN 2-factor authentication using RADIUS are available in our Protectimus RADIUS Server Installation Guide for Forcepoint VPN 2FA.

2.3. Add Protectimus as RADIUS Server for Forcepoint VPN MFA

1. Navigate to the Forcepoint Server Admin Dashboard.
2. From the Configuration menu, select User Authentication.
3. Right-click on the Servers section and choose New –> RADIUS Authentication Server.
4. Next, proceed to the General tab and configure the following settings.

5. To configure the authentication methods, go to the Authentication Methods tab and adjust the following settings:

6. Click OK.

7. After clicking OK, you can proceed to configure the RADIUS authentication server to accept connections from your Firewall engines by following these steps:
   • Ensure that the shared secret is identical on both the Management Client and RADIUS authentication server.
   • The Firewall’s identity that is presented to the server is the IP address of the interface chosen as the value for the IPv4 Identity for Authentication Requests, IPv6 Identity for Authentication Requests, or IPv6 Identity for Authentication Requests in the Firewall’s Interface Options.

   Please note! The IP address used as the identity is merely a name, and the interface and IP address used for authentication-related connections are selected based on the Firewall’s routing information, like any other connection.

Integration of two-factor authentication (2FA/MFA) for your Forcepoint VPN is now complete.

If you have other questions, contact Protectimus customer support service.