Critical Operation Protection

Virtual MFA Device

An MFA device generates 6-digit verification codes in compliance with the Time-based One-time Password Algorithm (TOTP). MFA devices can be hardware- or software-based. Currently, only software-based virtual MFA devices are supported, and they are application programs running on smart devices such as mobile phones.

This section describes how to bind a virtual MFA device, for example, the Huawei Cloud App. If you have installed another MFA application, add a user by following the on-screen prompts. For details about how to bind or remove a virtual MFA device, see Virtual MFA Device.

The method for binding a virtual MFA device varies depending on whether your Huawei Cloud account has been upgraded to a HUAWEI ID.

Before binding a virtual MFA device, ensure that you have installed an MFA application (such as an Authenticator app) on your mobile device.

• Huawei Cloud account

1. Go to the Security Settings page.
2. Click the Critical Operations tab, and click Bind in the Virtual MFA Device row.
   Figure 1 Virtual MFA device
   

3. Set up the MFA application by scanning the QR code or manually entering the secret key.

   You can bind a virtual MFA device to your account by scanning the QR code or entering the secret key.

   • Scanning the QR code

     Open the MFA application on your mobile phone, and use the application to scan the QR code displayed on the Bind Virtual MFA Device page. Your account or IAM user is then added to the application.

   • Manually entering the secret key

     Open the MFA application on your mobile phone, and enter the secret key.

     

     The user can be manually added only using time-based one-time passwords (TOTP). You are advised to enable automatic time setting on your mobile phone.

4. View the verification codes on the MFA application. The code is automatically updated every 30 seconds.
5. On the Bind Virtual MFA Device page, enter two consecutive verification codes and click OK.

• HUAWEI ID

1. Go to the Security Settings page.
2. Click the Critical Operations tab, and click Bind in the Virtual MFA Device row.
   Figure 2 Binding a virtual MFA device
   

3. On the Account & security page of the HUAWEI ID account center, associate an authenticator with your HUAWEI ID as instructed.

Login Protection

After login protection is enabled, you and IAM users created using your account will need to enter a verification code in addition to the username and password during login. Enable this function for account security.

For the account, only the account administrator can enable login protection for it. For IAM users, both the account administrator and other administrators can enable this feature for the users.

• (Administrator) Enabling login protection for an IAM user

  To enable login protection for an IAM user, go to the Users page and choose More > Security Settings in the row that contains the IAM user. In the Login Protection area on the displayed Security Settings tab, click next to Verification Method, and select a verification method from SMS, email, or virtual MFA device.

  

  After you enable login protection, IAM users need to perform identity verification when they access Huawei Cloud using the management console. The setting does not apply if IAM users use programmatic access.

• Enabling login protection for your Huawei Cloud account

  If your Huawei Cloud account has not been upgraded to a HUAWEI ID, you can enable login protection on the Security Settings page. Go to the Security Settings page, and click the Critical Operations tab. Click Enable next to Login Protection, select a verification method, enter the verification code, and click OK.

  Figure 3 Enabling login protection
  
• Enabling login protection for your HUAWEI ID

  If your Huawei Cloud account has been upgraded to a HUAWEI ID, enable login protection in the HUAWEI ID account center. Go to the HUAWEI ID account center, choose Account & security, locate Two-step verification in the Security verification area, click ENABLE, complete verification, and click OK.

  The system authenticates your identity when you log in with a HUAWEI ID. If you use a new terminal to log in, you will be authenticated with your security phone number at first login. If two-step verification is not enabled, click Trust to add your terminal to the trust list. Then you will no longer need to perform authentication when logging in using this terminal next time.

Operation Protection

• Enabling operation protection

  After operation protection is enabled, you and IAM users created using your account need to enter a verification code when performing a critical operation, such as deleting an ECS. This function is enabled by default. To ensure resource security, keep it enabled.

  The verification is valid for 15 minutes and you do not need to be verified again when performing critical operations within the validity period.

1. Go to the Security Settings page.
2. On the Critical Operations tab, locate the Operation Protection row and click Enable.
   Figure 4 Enabling operation protection
   

3. Select Enable and then select Self-verification or Verification by another person.

   If you select Verification by another person, an identity verification is required to ensure that this verification method is available.

   Figure 5 Configuring operation protection
   
   • Self-verification: You or IAM users themselves perform verification when performing a critical operation.
   • Verification by another person: The specified person completes verification when you or IAM users perform a critical operation. Only SMS and email verification are supported.

4. Click OK.

• Disabling operation protection

If operation protection is disabled, you and IAM users created using your account do not need to enter a verification code when performing a critical operation.

1. Go to the Security Settings page.
2. On the Critical Operations tab, locate the Operation Protection row and click Change.
   Figure 6 Disabling operation protection
   

3. Select Disable and click OK.
   Figure 7 Disabling operation protection
   

4. Enter a verification code.
   • Self-verification: The administrator who wants to disable operation protection completes the verification. SMS, email, and virtual MFA verification are supported.
   • Verification by another person: The specified person completes the verification. Only SMS and email verification are supported.

5. Click OK.

• Each cloud service defines its own critical operations.
• When IAM users created using your account perform a critical operation, they will be prompted to choose a verification method from email, SMS, and virtual MFA device.
  • If a user is only associated with a mobile number, only SMS verification is available.
  • If a user is only associated with an email address, only email verification is available.
  • If a user is not associated with an email address, mobile number, or virtual MFA device, the user will need to associate at least one of them before they can perform any critical operations.
• You may not be able to receive email or SMS verification codes due to communication errors. In this case, you are advised to use a virtual MFA device for verification.
• You can change the mobile number or email address in My Account and change the virtual MFA device on the Security Settings page of the IAM console.
• If operation protection is enabled, IAM users need to enter verification codes when performing a critical operation. The verification codes are sent to the mobile number or email address bound to the IAM users.

Access Key Management

• Enabling access key management

  After access key management is enabled, only the administrator can create, enable, disable, or delete access keys of IAM users. This function is disabled by default. To ensure resource security, enable this function.

  To enable access key management, click the Critical Operations tab on the Security Settings page, and click in the Access Key Management row.

• Disabling access key management

  After access key management is disabled, all IAM users can create, enable, disable, or delete their own access keys.

  To enable access key management, click the Critical Operations tab on the Security Settings page, and click in the Access Key Management row.

Information Self-Management

• Enabling information self-management

  By default, information self-management is enabled, indicating that all IAM users can manage their own basic information (login password, mobile number, and email address). Determine whether to allow IAM users to manage their own information and what information they can modify.

  To enable information self-management, click the Critical Operations tab on the Security Settings page, and click Enable in the Information Self-Management row. Select Enable, select the information types that IAM users can modify, and click OK.

• Disabling information self-management

  After you disable information self-management, only administrators can manage their own basic information. If IAM users need to modify their login password, mobile number, or email address, they can contact the administrator. For details, see Viewing or Modifying IAM User Information.

  To disable information self-management, click the Critical Operations tab on the Security Settings page, and click Change in the Information Self-Management row. In the displayed pane, select Disable and click OK.

Critical Operations

The following tables list the critical operations defined by each cloud service.