Using a Virtual MFA Device with AWS

To use a virtual MFA device with AWS, you must configure it for use with AWS, and then enable it. In this section you'll learn what a virtual MFA device is and what you need to do to configure and enable it.

A virtual MFA device uses a software application that generates six-digit authentication codes that are compatible with the Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) standard, as described in RFC 6238. The software application can run on any mobile hardware device, including a smartphone. Most virtual MFA applications allow you to host more than one virtual MFA device, which makes them more convenient than hardware MFA devices. However, you should be aware that because a virtual MFA might be run on a less secure device such as a smartphone, a virtual MFA might not provide the same level of security as a hardware MFA device.