CERN tightens remote access to accelerator control network

CERN says it has introduced two-factor authentication for remote access to Linux servers and development virtual machines on its Technical Network, which serves accelerator and infrastructure controls. Those connections previously relied on passwords and were largely unrestricted. Over the coming months, administrators will restrict human access to protected gateways and block other interactive paths. CERN has also deployed TNPLUS, a Linux cluster dedicated to the network. Existing accounts and virtual machines will undergo access reviews. Automatic connections through web applications and GitLab CI are exempt, while experiment networks retain discretion over their own two-factor authentication requirements.