Topic

Multi-factor authentication

Applicable to

Secret

History

Mar 2022

Memorised secrets used for multi-factor authentication on SECRET systems are a minimum of 8 characters.

Rather than supporting only the use of passwords for multi-factor authentication, multi-factor authentication recommendations have been amended to support the use of any form of memorised secret, such as personal identification numbers, passwords or passphrases.

Dec 2021

Passwords used for multi-factor authentication on SECRET systems are a minimum of 8 characters.

Miscellaneous changes were made to rationale and security controls throughout the publication. This included:

• A review from the Using the Information Security Manual chapter through to the Guidelines for Media chapter.

• Security controls suitable for all audiences have been identified with the ‘All’ applicability marking while additional security controls suitable for just government audiences have been identified with the O, P, S and TS applicability markings.

• Security controls suitable for specific classifications have been amended to include their classification(s) in the wording of the security controls to reduce the reliance on applicability markings to confer suitability.

• Tables in security controls have been converted into prose to allow for inclusion in the SSP annex template and the XML list of security controls.

• The use of ‘official’ and ‘highly classified’ terminology has been replaced with specific classifications to remove ambiguity.

• Security controls relating to high assurance ICT equipment have had their applicability narrowed to ‘S, TS’ reflecting that they are intended for the protection of SECRET and TOP SECRET systems and data.

Oct 2019

Passwords used for multi-factor authentication are a minimum of 8 characters.

Following a rigorous review of the ability of passwords used as part of multi-factor authentication to withstand attack, security control 1401 was modified while security controls 1559, 1560 and 1561 were added.