Secure VMware Cloud Director Access with CyLock MFA Integration

CyLock MFA for VMWare Cloud Director

VMware Cloud Director (VCD) is a robust cloud service delivery platform designed for service providers and enterprises to deliver secure, scalable, multi-tenant cloud infrastructure. It enables organizations to create isolated virtual data centers (VDCs), automate infrastructure provisioning, and empower users with self-service capabilities—all through a centralized management portal.

With VMware Cloud Director, organizations can:

Create and manage multi-tenant cloud environments
Offer IaaS capabilities by fully abstracting and virtualizing compute, network, and storage layers
Provide tenants with self-service portals and RESTful APIs
Automate operations and integrate with 3rd-party services
Support hybrid cloud strategies with extensibility and flexibility

Need for MFA

As a core component of your cloud infrastructure, VMware Cloud Director must be safeguarded against unauthorized access. Both admin and tenant accounts are potential targets for attackers and compromising them could lead to severe consequences including data loss, service downtime, or security breaches.

To strengthen security and mitigate these vulnerabilities, organizations can implement CyLock MFA in combination with strong password policies, account lockout protections, robust session management, and routine security assessments

CyLock MFA provides a customized ADFS agent that can be installed on an on-premises ADFS server. This agent acts as an Identity Provider and allows VMWare Cloud Director users to authenticate against Active Directory along with MFA through SAML 2.0 protocol.

VMware Cloud Director Login Process

This integration leverages SAML 2.0’s SP-Initiated Single Sign-On (SSO) flow, where the authentication process begins from the Service Provider (SP) - VMware Cloud Director (VCD). When a user attempts to log in directly to VCD, they are seamlessly redirected to Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) for authentication. The custom CyLock ADFS agent, handles both the first-factor authentication against Active Directory (AD) and the second-factor verification through the CyLock MFA platform, ensuring a secure and unified login experience for both admin and tenant users.

Book a Demo

Authentication Options

In addition to implementing robust password policies, organizations can enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to enhance the security of VCD login process. MFA adds an extra layer of security, mitigating the risk of cyber-attacks and bolstering protection for enterprise identities and data. The table below outlines the authentication types and security options available during the application login through the CyLock ADFS agent.

CyLock Network Device logon Authentication

"Talk to our support for enabling MFA for VCD"

Benefits of enabling CyLock MFA for VMWare Cloud Director

Enhanced Account Security

MFA enhances account security by prompting users to confirm their identity multiple authentication methods. Even if a user's password is compromised, unauthorized access is prevented without the second factor, effectively reducing the risk of phishing, credential theft, and brute-force attacks.

Protection for Provider and Tenant Accounts

Both provider and tenant user accounts are critical to the operation and management of the cloud infrastructure. Enforcing MFA ensures that these accounts are protected from unauthorized access, safeguarding sensitive configurations, tenant data, and virtualized resources across the environment

Secure Remote and Web-Based Access

Since VMware Cloud Director is accessed via a web interface—often remotely or over public networks—MFA provides an essential safeguard. It verifies user authenticity beyond the password, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access the portal from any location.

Compliance with Regulatory Standards

Many regulatory frameworks and security best practices—including GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001 — either recommend or mandate the use of MFA. Enabling MFA helps organizations meet these requirements, reducing compliance risk and demonstrating a proactive security posture.

Seamless Integration via SAML 2.0

The MFA solution integrates seamlessly into existing VMware Cloud Director environments through SAML 2.0, allowing ADFS to act as a federated Identity Provider (IdP). This ensures a smooth user experience with single sign-on (SSO) capabilities while maintaining a high level of security.

Flexible Deployment Across Hybrid Environments

Whether your Active Directory is hosted on-premises or in the cloud, the solution adapts to your infrastructure. CyLock MFA platform enables centralized control over authentication policies, making it easier to deploy and manage MFA across distributed user bases.

Visibility and Auditing

With CyLock MFA platform in place, all authentication events—including successful logins and MFA challenges—can be logged, monitored, and audited. This enhances visibility into user behavior and supports incident response and investigations.

Get Started Today

Strengthen the security of your VMware Cloud Director environment with robust and adaptable multi-factor authentication.

Contact us to learn more about integrating ADFS-based MFA with your VCD deployment and protecting your admin and tenant accounts from evolving cyber threats.

Book a Demo