Securing infrastructure is a top priority, especially when granting users access to critical systems. Bastion hosts have long been the go-to solution for managing and monitoring access to private networks. However, while effective, bastion hosts often introduce operational complexity, steep learning curves, and maintenance overhead. Fortunately, there are alternatives that simplify this process without compromising security.
Here, we’ll explore an alternative onboarding process to replace bastion hosts, streamlining access control while maintaining robust security for your systems.
What Makes Bastion Hosts Challenging?
Bastion hosts act as tightly controlled gateways enabling secure remote access. Traditional bastion setups provide accountability and centralization, but come with challenges:
- Complexity: Setting up and maintaining a bastion host involves extensive work configuring servers, firewall rules, and SSH keys while ensuring logs are properly captured.
- User Friction: End-users often rely on complex workflows such as reconfiguring SSH, remembering special commands, and juggling key files.
- Scaling Issues: As your team expands, managing credentials, access policies, and log auditing grows increasingly difficult.
- Hidden Costs: Beyond infrastructure costs, the engineering time required to support these setups adds up.
Given these considerations, many organizations are looking for simpler alternatives.
Onboarding Users Without a Bastion Host
A modern alternative to bastion hosts takes user onboarding into account by leveraging centralized tools for access management, auditability, and easy integration with existing workflows. Let’s break down this streamlined process step-by-step.
1. Use an Identity Provider (IdP) for Single Sign-On
Centralize your access control through an Identity Provider such as Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace. These systems allow you to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) and give users access to systems without additional layers of SSH configuration.
- What: Users sign in via SSO to instantly access authorized resources.
- Why: The IdP eliminates friction associated with managing SSH keys and credentials manually.
- How: Integrate your IdP with an access management tool that links identity with resource permissions effortlessly.
2. Replace SSH Keys With Short-Lived Certificates
Static SSH keys are difficult to rotate and need manual distribution. Alternatives leverage short-lived certificates that offer limited validity windows for access.
- What: Grant temporary, time-restricted credentials to users.
- Why: Eliminates key management headaches and lowers the risk from compromised keys.
- How: Use tools like Teleport, Boundary, or Hoop.dev that automatically issue tokens for specific resources as needed.
3. Automate Role-Based Permissions
Instead of manually adding users to servers or fiddle with command-line policies, automate access provisioning using clearly defined roles.
- What: Roles determine a user’s allowed actions based on their responsibilities (e.g., developer, admin).
- Why: Simplifies scaling team access while maintaining granular control.
- How: Create rule-based access policies in your access management platform tied to your cloud or infrastructure environment.
4. Simplify Onboarding With a Team-Friendly Access Dashboard
Bring all authorized resources, logs, and session recordings into one place. Instead of SSH-ing or accessing distributed servers piecemeal, users can connect to resources quickly using GUIs or RESTful APIs.
- What: A single interface for approving sessions or accessing infrastructure.
- Why: Increases usability for engineers and reduces confusion for all users.
- How: Platforms like Hoop.dev provide centralized user dashboards with access visibility for teams of all sizes.
5. Enforce Logging and Monitoring by Default
Audit logging shouldn’t be an afterthought. Modern access tools automate session recording and provide out-of-the-box integrations with SIEM tools for compliance requirements.
- What: Secure, reliable session logs for every connection attempt.
- Why: Maintain audit trails without additional script hacks or plugins.
- How: Deploy an access platform with audit capabilities baked in. Ensure logs include user identity, specific actions, and timestamps.
Key Benefits of Bastion Host Alternatives
Replacing traditional bastion hosts with a modern onboarding process delivers key advantages:
- Reduced Overhead: Automated workflows eliminate complex setups and maintenance.
- Scalable Access: Easily onboard new engineers or vendors in minutes.
- Enhanced Security: Short-lived credentials and MFA reduce risks from stolen keys.
- Improved Developer Experience: Modern dashboards save time while maintaining productivity.
See How It Works With Hoop.dev
If you’re ready to replace complex bastion host workflows and simplify your access operations, Hoop.dev has you covered. With automated identity-first access controls, intuitive user interfaces, and real-time coding integrations, you can experience this streamlined process live in minutes.
If you’d like to see how easy secure onboarding can be, try Hoop.dev today.