Skip to main content

Your submission was sent successfully! Close

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter!
In these regular emails you will find the latest updates from Canonical and upcoming events where you can meet our team.Close

Thank you for contacting us. A member of our team will be in touch shortly. Close

An error occurred while submitting your form. Please try again or file a bug report. Close

  1. Blog
  2. Article

Kris Sharma
on 14 August 2020

Optimised authentication methods for Ubuntu Desktop


Still counting on passwords to protect your workstation? When set up properly, alternatives to passwords provide a streamlined user experience while significantly improving security. These alternative authentication methods can also easily be combined to create a custom and adaptive authentication profile.

This whitepaper introduces three popular authentication methods that provide a solid alternative to passwords. Perhaps you’d like to configure your laptop for login using a YubiKey hardware token connected to a dock. Another option could be to login with a Duo push notification when not connected to the dock, but use a Google Authenticator one-time password when no network is available. Maybe you need a separate hardware token just for ssh authentication, and you always need to keep a long, complex password for emergency authentication should all other methods fail. All of these scenarios can be easily configured within Ubuntu.

Highlights of this whitepaper include:

  • Configuration instructions for Yubikeys, the Google Authenticator app and Duo push notifications
  • Guidance on using Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) within Ubuntu
  • Planning and testing strategies for creating a multi-factor authentication experience
  • An overview of NIST guidance (NIST 800-63 series, Digital Identity Guidelines) to aid in building an authentication plan

Download this whitepaper on optimizing your authentication experience to see how to combine Yubikeys, the Google Authenticator app, Duo push notifications with traditional passwords to create that custom authentication experience.

Download Whitepaper:

Related posts


Aaron Prisk
18 August 2025

A journey of a thousand smiles: Questing Quokka

Desktop Article

Embarking on a quest can be serious business – whether you’re going off on a family holiday or traveling the hills of Britain in search of the holy grail, our focus is very much affixed to the finish line. Every year, nearly 1 million people from across the globe pack their bags and trek thousands ...


Stephanie Domas
11 August 2025

A CISO’s guide to Application Security best practices 

Hardening Article

Effective AppSec is not a one-time fix but a continuous journey across every facet of your application’s lifecycle. By embracing a Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) from the outset, diligently uncovering potential risks, and mastering your cybersecurity fundamentals, you lay a robust foundation for resilient applications. ...


ROS Noetic is EOL – take action to maintain fleet security

Robotics Article

As of May 2025, the Robot Operating System (ROS) Noetic Ninjemys officially reached its end of life (EOL). First released in 2020 as the final ROS (1) distribution, ROS Noetic has been the default choice for thousands of developers building on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. For developers and businesses running mission-critical systems on ROS Noetic, ...