Firebox Web UI Integration with AuthPoint

Deployment Overview

This document describes how to configure multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Device Management users that log in to Fireware Web UI.

With Fireware v12.7 or higher, you can add AuthPoint as an authentication server on your Firebox. For this configuration, you must register and connect your Firebox to WatchGuard Cloud as a locally-managed Firebox (this integration does not support cloud-managed Fireboxes). For detailed instructions to register and connect your Firebox to WatchGuard Cloud, see Add a Locally-Managed Firebox to WatchGuard Cloud.

Your WatchGuard Firebox must already be configured and deployed before you set up MFA with AuthPoint.

When you configure MFA, Device Management users can authenticate with a push notification or a one-time password (OTP). You choose which authentication method users can use when you configure the authentication policy in AuthPoint. The steps in this integration guide are for both authentication methods.

This integration was tested with Fireware v12.7.

WatchGuard Firebox Authentication Data Flow with AuthPoint

This diagram shows the data flow of an MFA transaction for a WatchGuard Firebox.

Before You Begin

Before you begin these procedures, make sure that:

  • A token is assigned to a user in AuthPoint
  • You have registered and connected your Firebox to WatchGuard Cloud as a locally-managed Firebox.
  • You have Fireware v12.7 or higher.

Configure AuthPoint

To configure AuthPoint, you must:

Configure a Firebox Resource

From the AuthPoint management UI:

  1. From the navigation menu, select Resources.
  2. From the Choose a Resource Type drop-down list, select Firebox. Click Add Resource.
    The Firebox resource page opens.

add resources firebox

  1. In the Name text box, type a descriptive name for the resource.
  2. From the Firebox drop-down list, select the Firebox or FireCluster that you want to connect to AuthPoint. This list only shows locally-managed Fireboxes and FireClusters that you have added to WatchGuard Cloud.
  3. Click Save.

After you add the Firebox resource in AuthPoint, the AuthPoint authentication server on your Firebox is enabled.

Authentication Servers list

Add a Group in AuthPoint

You must have at least one user group in AuthPoint to configure MFA. If you already have a group, you do not have to add another group.

To add a group to AuthPoint:

  1. From the navigation menu, select Groups.
  2. Click Add Group.
    The New Group page appears.

Screenshot that shows the Groups page.

  1. In the Name text box, type a descriptive name for the group.
  2. (Optional) In the Description text box, type a description of the group.

Screen shot of the New Group page.

  1. Click Save.
    Your group is listed on the Groups page.

Screenshot of the Save button on the New Group page.

Add an Authentication Policy to AuthPoint

Authentication policies specify which resources users can authenticate to and which authentication methods they can use (Push, QR code, and OTP).

You must have at least one authentication policy in AuthPoint that includes the Firebox resource. If you already have authentication policies, you do not have to create a new authentication policy. You can add this resource to your existing authentication policies.

Users that do not have an authentication policy for a specific resource cannot authenticate to log in to that resource.

To configure an authentication policy:

  1. From the navigation menu, select Authentication Policies.
  2. Click Add Policy.

Screenshot of the Add Policy button on the Authentication Policies page.

  1. Type a name for this policy.
  2. From the Select the authentication options drop-down list, select Authentication options and select which authentication options users can choose from when they authenticate.

    With Fireware v12.7 and higher, if you enable the Push and OTP authentication methods for a policy, users can choose which authentication to use.

    QR code authentication is not supported for Firebox resources.

  1. Select which groups this policy applies to. You can select more than one group. To configure this policy to apply to all groups, select All Groups.
  2. Select which resources this policy applies to. To configure this policy to apply to all resources, select All Resources.

Screenshot of the Add Policy page with the groups and resources selected

  1. (Optional) If you have configured policy objects such as a Network Location, select which policy objects apply to this policy. When you add a policy object to a policy, the policy only applies to user authentications that match the conditions of the policy objects. For example, if you add a Network Location to a policy, the policy only applies to user authentications that come from that Network Location. Users who only have a policy that includes a Network Location do not get access to the resource when they authenticate outside of that Network Location (because they do not have a policy that applies, not because authentication is denied).

    Policies that have a Network Location apply to Firebox resources.

    If you configure policy objects, we recommend that you create a second policy for the same groups and resources without the policy objects. The policy with the policy objects should have a higher priority.

Screenshot of the Policy Objects drop-down list.

  1. Click Save.
    Your policy is created and added to the end of the policy list.

    When you create a new policy, we recommend that you review the order of your policies. AuthPoint always adds new policies to the end of the policy list.

Screenshot of the Save button on the Add Policy page.

Add Users to AuthPoint

Before you assign users to a group, you must add the users to AuthPoint. There are two ways to add AuthPoint user accounts:

  • Sync users from an external user database
  • Add local AuthPoint users

Each user must be a member of a group. You must add at least one group before you can add users to AuthPoint.

To import users from Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, or an LDAP database, you must add an external identity in the AuthPoint management UI. External identities connect to user databases to get user account information and validate passwords.

  • To sync users from Active Directory or an LDAP database, you must add an LDAP external identity
  • To sync users from Microsoft Entra ID, you must add a Microsoft Entra ID external identity

When you sync users from an external user database, you can sync any number of users and they are all added to AuthPoint at one time. Users synced from an external user database use the password defined for their user account as their AuthPoint password.

To learn how to sync users, go to Sync Users from Active Directory or LDAP and Sync Users from Azure Active Directory.

You can create local AuthPoint users on the Users page in the AuthPoint management UI. Because you can create only one user at a time, you most commonly do this when you want to create test users or to add only a small number of users.

Unlike users synced from an external user database, local AuthPoint users define and manage their own AuthPoint password. When you add a local user account, the user receives an email that prompts them to set their password.

To learn how to add local AuthPoint user accounts, go to Add Local AuthPoint Users.

Configure the Firebox

On your Firebox, you must add Device Management users with AuthPoint as the authentication server.

  1. Log in to Fireware Web UI (https://<your firebox IP address>:8080)
  2. Select System > Users and Roles.

  3. In the Users and Roles section, click Add.
  4. In the User Name text box, type a name.

    This user name must exactly match the name of the AuthPoint user or Active Directory user. This is case–sensitive.

  5. From the Authentication Server drop-down list, select AuthPoint.
  6. From the Role drop-down list, select the role for this user account.

  7. Click OK.
  8. Click Save.

Test the Integration

To test the integration of AuthPoint and the WatchGuard Firebox, you authenticate with a mobile token on your mobile device or a hardware token. For Firebox resources, you can authenticate with a one-time password (OTP) or a push notification. The authentication method you use is determined by the access policy for your Firebox resource.

When you log in to Fireware Web UI, your user name must exactly match the user name in AuthPoint. The user name is case sensitive.

  1. Open a web browser and navigate to Fireware Web UI (https://<your firebox IP address>:8080)
  2. Type your AuthPoint user name and password. The user name is case-sensitive.
  3. From the Authentication Server drop-down list, select the AuthPoint.

  1. Click Next.

  1. Click Send Push.
  2. Approve the authentication request that is sent to your mobile device.
    You are logged in successfully.
  1. Open a web browser and navigate to Fireware Web UI (https://<your firebox IP address>:8080)
  2. Type your AuthPoint user name and password. The user name is case-sensitive.
  3. From the Authentication Server drop-down list, select the AuthPoint.

  1. Click Next.
  2. From the Authentication Options section, select OTP.

  1. Type the OTP shown for your token in the AuthPoint mobile app.
  2. Click Log in.
    You are logged in successfully.