NetKnights
Multi-Factor Authentication Reimagined

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a must-have in the fast-paced digital landscape. With every click potentially leaving an organisation susceptible to malicious actors, MFA solutions are the first defence against safeguarding sensitive data. But, most tools available in the market are proprietary and inflexible, leading companies to rely heavily on a single provider for their data protection and access management needs. This reliance can be risky because if the provider discontinues the product, users and their organisations are left exposed to breaches.

Recognising the risk of this paradigm, Cornelius Koelbel envisioned an open-source MFA system. Through his company, NetKnights

, he turned his idea into reality. Koelbel developed privacyIDEA, a publicly available MFA that allows users to fortify their login processes and data without relying on a provider. Freedom from being tied to one vendor ensures long-term stability.

"privacyIDEA empowers our clients with MFA-powered systems that are available indefinitely, enabling them to maintain control over their authentication processes," says Koelbel, CEO of NetKnights.

Versatile and Reliable Solution for Modern Security Needs

Ten years on the market has established privacyIDEA as a reliable solution that customers can depend on for the long haul. A key feature is its flexibility. privacyIDEA supports a broad range of token types, from traditional methods like email, SMS codes and TOTP to modern mechanisms such as Push Authentication, WebAuthn, FIDO2, and soon Passkeys, making it the solution for diverse authentication needs. This broad range of options means customers can pick what suits their unique security requirements without limitations.

The privacyIDEA MFA system is designed to assist IT departments in managing their authentication processes, including enrolling and revoking second factors. By employing a generic approach, it enables customers to automate these processes at a high level and enhance efficiency. This focus on automation saves valuable time and minimises manual effort so administrators can focus on more significant tasks.

Commitment to Automation and Standardised Support

NetKnights, with its strong Linux background, is staffed by many Linux administrators who share a common trait—a preference for avoiding repetitive tasks. When they encounter a manual process, they are motivated to find automation solutions to prevent having to perform that task again. This mindset is perfectly aligned with the goals of privacyIDEA. As a result, the system is engineered to facilitate extensive automation, including initial setup. Once it’s up and running, administrators can rest easy knowing the system will do its thing without needing constant supervision.

NetKnights maintains a dedicated team that continuously upgrades its software, ensuring all customers operate on the same codebase. While some users may be on version 3.8 and others on 3.10, all use the same foundational software.

This unified approach makes support easier and customers’ installations more stable since the team can quickly identify and resolve issues based on configuration rather than custom code. It also provides documentation to guide customers through the setup process.

Streamlining Authentication with Flexible MFA

NetKnights refuses to offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it takes time to understand each client’s needs and explore best-suited options to configure its privacyIDEA system. This personalised approach ensures every implementation meets the client’s unique needs.

In a notable case, a German IT system provider tasked with managing the entire infrastructure for the city of Essen wanted to ensure secure yet effortless remote access while upholding the highest security standards. In pursuit of this, they merged with another service provider, raising the question, “Should they stick with the existing two-factor authentication (2FA) system or switch to a more modern solution?” They aimed to integrate separate 2FA systems into a centralised solution.

privacyIDEA empowers our clients with MFA-powered systems that are available indefinitely, enabling them to maintain control over their authentication processes

It wasn't long before they discovered privacyIDEA. Recognising its ability to retain all of the old system’s core functionalities while offering several advantages—a modern architecture, an intuitive user interface, greater development transparency, enhanced features and better support—the Essen-based company quickly made NetKnights their new authentication partner. This change allowed them to modernise their systems and streamline the migration process. The collaboration proved instrumental for the system provider as it streamlined the modernisation of authentication methods while providing essential support during the implementation and data migration processes.

At the same time, privacyIDEA offered a migration script in its GitHub repository, allowing anyone to export existing encrypted data from the old system into the new open-source MFA implementation. It also allowed users to re-encrypt access using new keys. This easy migration made it a no-brainer for the Essen-based team. In some instances where further script development was required to handle repeated migration steps across various systems, NetKnights worked closely with the client’s project partners to make the desired adjustments through several iterations. Ultimately, the migration was completed in just two days, with the final data movement involving around 1,500 user accounts taking under 10 minutes.

From a day-to-day perspective, NetKnight’s implementation enhanced user management and policy settings with markedly more customisability than the initial deployment of the old system. A key element is the event handler framework, which lightens the administrative workload by automating tasks like email notifications.

Moving forward, the provider wants to expand its use of privacyIDEA to secure Nextcloud, the platform used for file sharing and editing, with 2FA. Additionally, the company plans to offer accounts with limited IT access to "light users" in the future. This would extend external access to all city employees, increasing the user base to an estimated 13,000-15,000, a tenfold expansion that privacyIDEA is perfectly poised to handle with its proficiency in automating many processes while reducing errors and saving valuable time. Successes like this showcase a belief that clients deserve the freedom to choose how to implement and manage their authentication processes.

Providing flexibility, automation and autonomy for users worldwide, NetKnights and privacyIDEA stand as a testament to the power of open-source solutions in the ever-evolving realm of authentication.