• Home
• App Integrations
• MFA Integrations
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA) for G suite

Google 2-Step Verification (2FA/MFA) for your account

---

Why are we implementing 2FA for Google Workspace (G Suite)?

Google 2-step verification or Two-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA) is a security measure which includes the process of secure Authentication and verifying identity in which a user or an organisational employee has to provide two factors to gain the access to Google (G Suite) Cloud Data. G suite 2-step verification or G suite 2fa starts with the user submitting his traditional username & password. Once the user successfully verifies the identity and gets authenticated with the 1st step verification, The second configured 2FA (OTP over SMS, Push Notifications, Google Authenticator etc) method prompts on for 2nd-step verification. After successfully signing in with both of the steps a user is granted access to the Google (G Suite) account. This additional verification layer acts as a security measure and prevents unauthorized people from accessing the Google account by verifying your identity even if cyber attackers get to know your credentials. You can also restrict your access based on location, time of access, and number of devices with the minOrange adaptive authentication solution for G suite and other apps.

How miniOrange will help with Google 2-step verification (2FA)?

miniOrange provides 15+ authentication methods as a security measure and solutions for various apps/websites including Google 2-step verification. It allows users and organizations to set up certain authentication & settings to verify identity which includes password restrictions, restricting sign-in methods, as well as other security settings. With miniOrange, you can configure TOTP based methods (Google Authenticator/Microsoft Authenticator, Authy Authenticator) as well as Push Notification, OTP over SMS/Email and many more as mfa methods for your G suite account. Apart from that, you can also add 2fa on multiple applications used by your organization.

Follow the Step-by-Step Guide given below for Google Workspace (G Suite) Single Sign-On (SSO) and 2-step verification

1. Configure Google Workspace (G Suite) in miniOrange

• Login into miniOrange Admin Console.
• Go to Apps and click on Add Application button.



• In Choose Application Type, select SAML/WS-FED from the All Apps dropdown.



• Search for Google Workspace (G Suite) in the list, if you don't find Google Workspace (G Suite) in the list then, search for custom and you can set up your application in Custom SAML App.

• In the Basic tab, enter the following details:
• Enter Display Name: Google Apps
• Enter the SP Entity ID or Issuer: https://accounts.google.com/samlrp/<unique_app_id>
• Enter the ACS URL: https://accounts.google.com/samlrp/<unique_app_id>/acs
• Enter the Single Logout URL: https://mail.google.com/a/out/tld/?logout



• Click on Next to proceed.
• Leave the Attributes section empty.
• Go to the Policies. Save the application first to configure the policy.



• Click the Assign Group button. In the Configure Group Assignment dialog box, select DEFAULT as the group.





• Click Next to go to the Assign Policies section. Select First Factor as Password.



• Click Save.
• Once done, policies will be created for all the selected groups.




Get IdP Metadata Details to upload to Google Workspace:

• Go to Apps >> Applications.
• Search for your app and click the three-dot icon in the Actions column.
• Click Metadata to view the miniOrange metadata details. You can also click Show SSO Link to get the IdP-initiated SSO link for your application.



• Now, go to the Metadata tab. Here you will see 2 sections. If you are setting up miniOrange as IdP, copy the metadata from the first section. If you need to authenticate via external IdPs (Okta, Azure AD, ADFS, OneLogin, Google Workspace), get the metadata from the External source as IdP section as shown below.



• Keep SAML Login URL, IdP Entity ID or Issuer and click on the Download Certificate button to download certificate which you will require in Step 2.

2. Configure SSO in Google Workspace (G Suite)

• Now, log into Google Admin Console.
• Go to Security > Authentication > SSO with third-party IdP.
• In the Third-party SSO profiles section, click Add SAML Profile.



• For SAML SSO Profile, enter a profile name.



• In the IdP details section, provide the following information:
  • Sign-In Page URL: SAML Login URL from Step 1.
  • Sign-Out Page URL: <Base Server URL>/idp/oidc/logout?post_logout_redirect_uri=https://gmail.com
    
    Example: https://login.xecurify.com/moas/idp/oidc/logout?post_logout_redirect_uri=https://gmail.com
  • Change Password URL: SAML Login URL from Step 1.
• Upload the certificate by clicking Upload Certificate (from Step 1).
• Click Save.



• After saving, copy the ACS URL. You will need this when configuring Google Workspace in miniOrange.



• Your Google SSO SAML integration is complete.



2.1. Assign SSO profile to organizational units or groups:




If you want some of your users to sign in to Google directly, you can move those users into an organizational unit (OU) or group. Then, manage SSO settings for the OU or group so that those users are authenticated by Google rather than using your third-party IdP. Follow the following steps:

• If you want all your (non-super admin) users to sign in using a third-party IdP : You don't need to manage.
• If you want some of your users to sign in to Google directly : Click Manage SSO profile assignments and continue to the next step.
  • If you are assigning the SSO profile for the first time, then click Get started. Otherwise, click Manage. Note: Get started is only available if you’ve already enabled your third-party SSO profile.
  
  
  
  
  • Select the organizational unit or group for which you’re assigning the SSO profile from the left.
    Note: If the SSO profile assignment for an OU or group differs from your domain-wide profile assignment, an
override warning appears when you select that OU or group. You can’t assign the SSO profile on a per-user
basis. The Users view let you check the setting for a specific user.
    
  
  
  
  • Choose Organization's third Party SSO Profile if you want your users in the OU or group to sign in to Google services using the IdP designated in your domain’s third-party SSO profile.
  • Choose None if you want your users in the OU or group to sign in directly with Google.
  • Then click Save.

2.2. To turn SSO off for all users:

If you want to turn off the third-party authentication for all your users without changing the SSO profile assignment for OUs or groups, you can disable the third-party SSO profile:

• Uncheck Set up SSO with third-party identity provider.
• Click Save.

3. Configure 2FA for Google Workspace (G Suite)

3.1: Enable 2FA for Users of Google Workspace (G Suite) app

• To enable 2FA for Users of Google Workspace (G Suite) application. Go to Policies >> App Login Policy
• Click on Edit icon against the application you have configured.



• Check the Enable 2-Factor Authentication (MFA) option.



• Click on Submit.

3.2: Configure 2FA for your Endusers

• To enable 2FA/MFA for endusers, go to 2-Factor Authentication >> 2FA Options For EndUsers.
• Select default Two-Factor authentication method for end users. Also, you can select particular 2FA methods, which you want to show on the end users dashboard.
• Once Done with the settings, click on Save to configure your 2FA settings.

3.3: Enduser 2FA Setup

• Login to End-User Dashboard using end user login URL.
• For Cloud Version: The login URL (branding url) which you have set.
• For On-Premise version: The login URL will be the same as of Admin Login URL.
• Select Setup 2FA from left panel. Then select any of the 2FA method available.
• For now, we have selected the SMS >> OTP OVER SMS as our 2FA method. You can explore the guide to setup other 2FA methods here.
• Enable the OTP over SMS if you have your phone number added under your account information else click on Edit >> Click here to update your phone number link.



• In Account Information, click on edit icon.



• Select your country code, enter your mobile number, and click Send OTP.



• Enter the OTP sent to your phone and click Validate.



• After adding your phone number, turn on the toggle to activate OTP over SMS.



• Now Enable 2 Factor Authentication toggle if not done before as shown below.

4. Test 2FA for Google Workspace (G Suite)

a. If 2FA for for End-user is configured

• Go to your Google Workspace (G Suite) Domain. It will redirect you to miniOrange Single Sign-On Service console.



• Enter your login credentials, and click on login. It will prompt to verify yourself against the configured 2fa method.
  e.g. If you have configured OTP over SMS, after login into Google Workspace (G Suite) it will prompt for OTP.



• Enter the OTP received in your phone, after successful 2fa verification, you will be redirected to the Google Workspace (G Suite) dashboard.

b. If 2FA for end-user is not enabled

• You will be prompted to register for 2Fa for end-user. It's a one time process.
• Configure your basic details.



• Configure any authentication method of your choice.



• After successful registration, you will be logged in to your Google Workspace (G Suite) account.


Not able to configure or test MFA?


Contact us or email us at idpsupport@xecurify.com and we'll help you setting it up in no time.

5. Adaptive Authentication with Google Workspace (G Suite)

Adaptive Authentication for Google Workspace (G Suite) enables administrators to enforce context-aware access policies by evaluating user login conditions such as IP address, device, location and login time. Based on the configured policy, users can be allowed access, challenged with additional verification or denied access. Administrators can also configure email alerts, customize user-facing error messages, review policy settings before deployment and assign adaptive authentication policies to application login policies to strengthen security and prevent unauthorized access.

[Note: The Adaptive Authentication section has been moved from the left navigation menu. You can now access and manage adaptive authentication policies by navigating to Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy.]

A. Restricting access to Google Workspace (G Suite) with IP Based Access Restriction

IP Based Access Restriction allows administrators to control user access based on the source IP address of the login request. Administrators can configure trusted or restricted IP addresses and IP ranges and define the action to be taken when a user's IP address matches the configured criteria. During authentication, the user's IP address is evaluated against the configured policy and access is either Allowed, Denied or Challenged based on the selected configuration.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with IP Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Expand the IP Based Access Restriction section by clicking on the dropdown icon to configure IP-based access rules.



• Click Add IP Range to configure IP addresses or IP ranges for the policy.



• Specify the IP Address that you want to whitelist. For the IP Range other than the whitelisted one, you can select the above setting to reflect.
• Choose either Allow or Deny by selecting the corresponding option from the dropdown. If a user tries to login with the whitelisted IP address, they will always be allowed access.
• We support IP address range in three formats i.e., IPv4, IPv4 CIDR and IPv6 CIDR. You can choose whichever is suitable for you from the dropdown menu.
• You can add multiple IPs or IP ranges by clicking the + Add IP Range button.



• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Select Action for Behavior Change, choose the appropriate Action and Challenge Type for the user from that section.





Attribute (Option)	Description
Allow	Allow users to authenticate and use services if Adaptive authentication condition is true.
Deny	Deny user authentications and access to services if Adaptive authentication condition is true.
Challenge	Challenge users with one of the three methods mentioned below for verifying user authenticity.



• Challenge Type Options: Set the challenge type when the Action for Behaviour is configured as Challenge.



Attribute	Description
User second Factor	The User needs to authenticate using the second factor he has opted or assigned for such as OTP over SMS PUSH Notification OTP over Email and many more.
KBA (Knowledge-based authentication)	The System will ask the user for 2 of 3 questions he has configured in his Self-Service Console. Only after the right answer to both questions is the user allowed to proceed further.
OTP over Alternate Email	User will receive an OTP on the alternate email they have configured through the Self Service Console. Once the user provides the correct OTP, they are allowed to proceed further.



• Click on Next to continue.

B. Restricting access to Google Workspace (G Suite) with Device Based Access Restriction

Device Based Access Restriction allows administrators to control user access based on trusted and registered devices. By leveraging device identification and verification mechanisms, administrators can define policies that evaluate the device used during authentication. When a user attempts to log in, the device is assessed against the configured policy and the appropriate action: Allow, Challenge or Deny is applied based on the configured conditions.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with Device Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Click on the Dropdown option to expand the Device Based Access Restriction section to configure device-based access controls.



• Turn on the Enable Device Configuration toggle.



• Configure either Agentless Device Restriction or Agent-Based Device Restriction based on your organization's requirements.
• Agentless Device Restriction: Verifies and manages trusted devices without requiring any software or agent installation on the endpoint. It uses browser and device-based identification methods to evaluate device trust and enforce access policies during authentication.
• Agent-Based Device Restriction: Provides enhanced device trust verification by using a lightweight agent installed on managed devices. It enables advanced device validation and risk-based access control to ensure that only trusted devices can access protected resources.



• Click here to get more information about Device Based Restriction.
• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Under Action for Behaviour Change, select the appropriate action and challenge type for the policy.



• Click on Next to continue.

C. Restricting access to Google Workspace (G Suite) with Location Based Access Restriction

In location restrictions, admin configures a list of locations where they want to allow end-users to either login or deny based on the condition set by the admin. When a user tries to login with adaptive authentication enabled, their Location Attributes, such as (Latitude, Longitude and Country Code) are verified against the Location list configured by the admin. Based on this user will be either allowed, challenged or denied.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with Location Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Click on the Dropdown to expand the Location Based Access Restriction section to configure location-based access rules.



• Select Register Location if User Completes Challenge to automatically register a user's location after successful challenge verification.
• Click on Add Location.



• In the Search Location field, enter the location name and select the appropriate location from the search results.
• Specify the radius around the selected location and choose the distance unit (KM or Miles). This will be the total area in and around the location we have configured using the Latitude and Longitude points.
• For each configured location, select whether access should be Allowed or Denied.



• You can click on the Add Location button to add more than one location and then follow steps 2-4 as mentioned above.
• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Select your Action for behavior Change and Challenge Type for user from the Action for behavior Change Section.



• Click on Next to continue.

D. Restricting access to Google Workspace (G Suite) with Time Based Access Restriction

In time restriction, admin configures a time zone with Start and End Times for that timezone and users are either allowed, denied or challenged based on the condition in the policy. When an end-user tries to login with the adaptive authentication enabled, their time zone-related attributes such as Time-Zone and Current System Time, are verified against the list configured by the admin and based on the configuration, the user is either allowed, denied or challenged.

You can configure Adaptive Authentication with Time Based Restriction in following way :

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> Adaptive Access Policy section from the left side menu.



• Click on the Create Policy button on the upper right. Add a suitable policy name and click on Create Policy.



• Expand the Time Based Access Restriction section by clicking on the dropdown icon to Time Based Access Restriction rules.



• Enter the Login Window Buffer Time (Minutes) to allow a grace period before the start time and after the end time of the configured login window. If no value is specified, the default buffer time of 0 minutes is applied.
• Click Add Time to create a time-based access rule.



• Select the required Timezone, configure the Start Time and End Time and choose the applicable days.
• For each time-based rule, select whether access should be Allowed or Denied.



• Click on the Add Time to add more than one timezones.
• Once the changes are made, click on Next.
• Select your Action for behavior Change and Challenge Type for user from the Action for behavior Change Section.



• Click on Next to continue.

E. Email Alerts and Custom Email Message

This section handles the notifications and alerts related to Adaptive Access Policy. It provides the following options:

• Send email alerts: Configure the recipients who should receive email notifications when adaptive authentication events occur. Alerts can be sent to administrators, end users or both, depending on your monitoring and security requirements.
• Send email alerts to administrators: Enable this option to notify administrators when configured adaptive authentication events are triggered. You can optionally specify an email address under Administrator's e-mail address to receive alerts to receive alerts; otherwise, alerts are sent to the default administrator account.



• Send email alerts to end users: Enable this option to notify end users when adaptive authentication events affect their login attempts or device registrations.
• Number of Device Registrations Exceeded Allowed Count: When enabled, end users receive an email notification if they attempt to register more devices than the maximum number allowed by the configured device restriction policy. (Available only for end-user notifications.)



• Get email alerts if users login from unknown devices or locations: Admins need to enable this option to enable receiving alerts for different alert options.



Option	Description
Users login from unknown IP addresses, devices or locations	Enabling this option allows you to login from unknown IP addresses or devices and even locations.
Challenge Completed and Device Registered	Enabling this option allows you to send an email alert when an end-user completes a challenge and registers a device.
Challenge Completed but Device Not Registered	Enabling this option allows you to send an email alert when an end-user completes a challenge but do not registers the device.
Challenge Failed	Enabling this option allows you to send an email alert when an end-user fails to complete the challenge.





• In case you want multiple admin accounts to receive alerts, then you can enable the option for admin and then enter the admin emails separated by a ',' in the input field next to Administrator's email to receive alerts label. To enable alerts for the end users, you can enable the End User checkbox.
• In case you want to customize the deny message that the end user receives in case his authentication is denied due to adaptive policy, you can do this by entering the message inside Deny Message text box.

F. Review

Review the configured policy conditions, behavior change actions, email alert settings and custom error messages before creating the adaptive authentication policy. This step provides a consolidated view of all configured settings, allowing you to verify the policy configuration and make any necessary changes before saving.




• Click on Create Policy.

G. Add Adaptive Authentication policy to Google Workspace (G Suite)

• Login to Self Service Console >> Policies >> App Login Policy.
• Click on Edit icon option for predefined app policy.



• Set your policy in the Policy Name and select Password as First Factor.



• Enable Adaptive Authentication on Edit Login Policy page and select the required restriction method as an option.
• From Select Login Policy dropdown select the policy we created in last step.
• Apply Restrictions Using: Configure how multiple adaptive authentication restrictions should be evaluated during user login.
  • AND: All enabled restrictions must be successfully satisfied for the login attempt to be allowed.
  • OR: At least one enabled restriction must be successfully satisfied for the login attempt to be allowed.



• Adaptive Authentication Restrictions: Configure additional login restrictions and verification conditions to strengthen account security and control user access based on contextual risk factors.
  • IP Restriction: Restrict login access to specific IP addresses or IP ranges for enhanced security.
  • Device Restriction: Allow login access only from trusted or pre-authorized devices.
  • Location Restriction: Control user login access based on geographic location.
  • Time Restriction: Restrict user login access to specific days or time periods.
  • Force MFA On Each Login Attempt: Require users to complete MFA verification during every login attempt regardless of device or session state.

How to add a trusted Device

• When End-user log in to the self service console after the policy for device restriction is on, he is provided the option to add the current device as a trusted device.

External References

• Know more about Two-Step Verification (2FA)
  
• Looking for SSO and two-step verification (2FA) based Sign in for other Google Workspace
  
• Google Account Provisioning Solution
  
• Google 2-step verification (2fa/mfa) docs
  
• Know about Step-Up Authentication