The AIX operating system must be configured to use Multi Factor Authentication for remote connections.

To assure accountability and prevent unauthenticated access, privileged and non-privileged users must utilize multifactor authentication to prevent potential misuse and compromise of the system. Multifactor authentication uses two or more factors to achieve authentication.

Factors include: 1. Something you know (e.g., password/PIN); 2. Something you have (e.g., cryptographic identification device, token); and 3. Something you are (e.g., biometric).

The DoW CAC with DoW-approved PKI is an example of multifactor authentication.

Verify SSH is configured to use multi factor authentication:

# grep ^sshd /etc/pam.conf | head -3

sshd auth required pam_ckfile sshd auth required pam_permission file=/etc/security/access.conf found=allow sshd auth required pam_pmfa /etc/security/pmfa/pam_pmfa.conf

If the output does not match the above lines, any lines are missing, or commented out, this is a finding.

Add or update the following lines in the /etc/pam.conf file:

sshd auth required pam_ckfile sshd auth required pam_permission file=/etc/security/access.conffound=allow sshd auth required pam_pmfa /etc/security/pmfa/pam_pmfa.conf