Snowflake recently deprecated password-only access to its platform in favor of other, more secure authentication methods, thus forcing organizations to either adapt or risk financially draining workflow disruptions.
Fortunately, Snowflake still offers several stronger, multi-layered options, and considering how many organizations rely on the platform for storing mission-critical data, choosing the right authentication method is essential for not just ensuring adequate access, but for balancing security, compliance, and usability.
What Is a Snowflake Authentication Method?
At its core, a Snowflake authentication method is the way a user or a system proves its identity when accessing Snowflake’s data and resources. It’s analogous to showing an ID at an entrance to a secure building, thus ensuring that only verified people and approved systems get inside.
Authentication in Snowflake is really important, as it protects sensitive information, such as financial records, customer details, or mission-critical data. By mandating the users’ logins through secure and verified channels, Snowflake reduces the risks of unauthorized access, costly data breaches, and dreaded compliance violations.
And though it recently deprecated password-only access, Snowflake still supports a range of different authentication methods, from simple username-and-password logins (now enhanced through multi-factor authentication) to enterprise-level authorization integrations. This range of different login methods allows organization to match their authentication strategy with their specific needs.
Overview of Available Snowflake Authentication Methods
Authentication is not a one-size-fits-all login mechanism. What works for consumers doesn’t typically work for organizations due to security needs and compliance. That’s why Snowflake offers multiple authentication methods that not only cater to businesses but also to different team sizes, technical capabilities, and compliance needs.
And while these authentication methods vary in complexity and data security strength, choosing the best one depends on your organization’s structure and the sensitivity of the data your organization manages. Here’s a short overview of available Snowflake authentication methods:
Username and Password (with MFA)
Username and password were always the most basic authentication option, and they were quite sufficient until the mid-2010s, when massive leaks from Yahoo, LinkedIn, Equifax, and countless others showed that the billions of username-password pairs were already in circulation on the dark web.
This revealed the inadequacy of PW-only access when it came to securing access to corporate data, prompting the worldwide shift in data management and protection. Snowflake recently deprecated PW-only access, and username-and-password logins are now only allowed when paired with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
This authentication method is still quite straightforward to implement, and it’s often used during initial setups, small team deployments, or for granting access to temporary accounts. However, even with MFA, username-and-password logins remain generally less secure when compared to enterprise-level authentication options.
Thus, PW-only access is best suited for low-risk and short-term use cases.
Key Pair Authentication (KPA)
Key Pair Authentication replaces the typical PW-only access with a public/private key pair, making it a secure and reliable option for programmatic access, service accounts, and automation workflow. It basically eliminates the need for passwords and thus reduces some security risks.
However, KPA requires careful key generation, secure key storage, and regular rotation, which makes it best-suited for environments in which scripts and APIs need to access Snowflake without direct human involvement.
OAuth/SSO (including SAML and External IdP Integration)
OAuth, or Open Authorization, covers both human and programmatic authentication flows and relies on granting tokens to third-party services without exposing user credentials. It’s often implemented through Identity Providers (IdP), like Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, or ADFS.
This integration supports Single Sign-On (SSO) using either OAuth or SAML 2.0, enabling MFA enforcement, RBAC, and centralized access policies. For human users, OAuth/SSO delivers a seamless login experience and reduces password fatigue. For services and automation, this method provides token-based access without exposing credentials.
SAML 2.0, as part of SSO, allows users to log in with the same corporate credentials they use for other systems, providing consistency and high levels of control.
Deprecation Timeline
Snowflake is phasing out password-only authentication entirely, with the following milestones:
- Sep 2025 – Nov 2025: MFA becomes mandatory for all human users accessing via Snowsight; also mandatory for all new human users regardless of interface.
- Nov 2025 – Jan 2026: Creation of new LEGACY_SERVICE users is blocked—all new non‑human users must use TYPE=SERVICE and cannot use passwords.
- Mar 2026 – May 2026: MFA is enforced for all existing human users across all interfaces—no exceptions.
- Jun 2026 – Aug 2026: Full deprecation of LEGACY_SERVICE; all service users must be SERVICE type and cannot authenticate via password.
External OAUTH/Identity Provider Integration
Organizations that adhere to stricter compliance and centralized security policies should connect Snowflake to an enterprise identity provider (IdP) like Okta, Azure AD, or ADFS, as these offer the highest level of control.
IdP authentication also supports MFA enforcement, Snowflake RBAC (role-based access control), and detailed access policies, all of which are managed through the provider. Although the initial setup of IdP authentication might be more complex and require closer collaboration with the IT department, the result is a unified, secure authentication framework across the entire organization.
SAML 2.0
SAML 2.0 (Security Assertion Markup Language) enables federated authentication through a SAML-compatible IdP, allowing users to access Snowflake with the same credentials they use for other corporate systems.
It provides a Single-Sign-On (SSO) experience across the entire system, while also enforcing MFA for added security. SAML is particularly well-suited for large enterprises that want consistent authentication across multiple tools, though it typically requires experienced identity management resources to configure and maintain.
How to Choose the Right Snowflake Authentication Method for Your Team
As seen from the section above, not all authentication methods are made equal, and choosing the right one depends on a combination of different factors, such as team size, technical resource availability, and security and compliance requirements.
Careful consideration of these factors ensures that the chosen authentication method aligns with your operational needs, instead of being an obstacle to productivity. In many cases, an optimal setup might involve using more than one authentication method, e.g., applying OAuth or SAML for human users and KPA for service and automation accounts.
Here’s what you need to know:
Small Teams or Startups
Small teams and startups often benefit more from simplicity, especially during the early stages when resources are limited. Such teams should start with password-based MFA or OAuth, as those provide a secure but easy-to-manage login experience for smaller teams.
However, as the data volume, team size, and client list expand, upgrading to more advanced methods like IdP or SAML can help maintain security without disrupting operational workflows. For example, a five-person startup might benefit from OAuth linked to their Google Workspace accounts at the start.
As the company and its client list expand, they might have to integrate with IdP due to additional compliance obligations.
Mid-to-Large Teams
Larger organizations require a more centralized access control to prevent security gaps. External OAuth or SAML integrations with an enterprise-level IdP would allow IT teams to manage user access, enforce MFA, and apply role-based access control (RBAC) across the board.
This setup also streamlines onboarding and offboarding, which reduces the risk of orphaned accounts. For example, a mid-sized fintech company could integrate Snowflake with Azure AD to ensure that the user’s access to Snowflake and other business-critical systems is revoked when they leave the company.
Automation and API-Based Access
Key Pair Authentication is typically the most secure and efficient Snowflake authentication method for scripts, apps, or other automated systems. This method completely avoids password storage in favor of cryptographic keys that can be stored and rotated more securely.
Service accounts are further configured with the Principle of Least Privilege, which ensures that these automated processes only gain access to the data they require, and nothing else. For example, a marketing automation platform pulling weekly reports data from Snowflake could use KPA on a service account limited to read-only access for specific tables.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using PW-only access without MFA was one of the most common missteps organizations could make. However, since Snowflake deprecated PW-only access, skipping MFA became practically impossible; organizations that don’t comply are denied complete access to their data due to compliance issues.
Still, even with multiple Snowflake authentication types available, there’s really no shortage of ways for organizations to make choices that weaken security and create unnecessary headaches down the road.
For example, failing to rotate credentials or cryptographic keys on a regular basis is quite a frequent issue, as stale credentials become a security liability over time, regardless of the authentication method your organization relies on. This is particularly true for credentials and keys that have been exposed or stored in insecure locations.
Blurring the lines between user authentication and automation authentication is also a common pitfall. Using personal user accounts for automated processes or API connections can make access tracking difficult and lead to overly broad permissions. The best approach is to create dedicated service accounts with limited roles for non-human access.
Finally, delaying IdP integration is a risk many teams underestimate. Many organizations wait until their teams grow significantly before migrating to a centralized authentication model, but doing so can make the migration more complex, time-consuming, and disruptive.
Moving to an external OAuth or SAML earlier in your growth ensures smoother adoption and better long-term security management.
Best Practices for Managing Authentication in Snowflake
Choosing the right authentication method is only one part of the equation—ongoing management is the other, and it’s equally as important for maintaining a secure Snowflake environment. Enabling MFA for any account that relies solely on password-only access is always a good starting point.
This extra layer of security greatly reduces the risk of unauthorized access via compromised credentials. Fortunately, Snowflake has deprecated password-only access, thus enforcing authentication via MFA.
To strengthen controls further, take advantage of authentication policies to enforce SSO, require MFA, or selectively disallow password-based methods across accounts. These policies allow organizations to standardize secure access practices and reduce inconsistencies between teams.
It’s also important to separate human, service, and automation accounts, with each having clearly defined roles and permissions. Snowflake’s TYPE policy should distinguish between PERSON and SERVICE accounts, while actively phasing out LEGACY_SERVICE accounts and following a clear migration plan.
Human user accounts should rely on methods like OAuth, SAML, or an external IdP, while service and automation accounts should use key pair authentication with tightly defined roles and access scopes. RBAC and the Principle of Least Privilege should remain key for managing access. Every account should only have the permissions it needs to function and perform its job—nothing more—to prevent both intentional and unintentional misuse of data.
Finally, conduct regular access reviews and audit authentication activity. Tools like the Snowflake Trust Center, Threat Intelligence Scanner, and LOGIN_HISTORY can help monitor for anomalies, track MFA usage, and assess the effectiveness of security policies. Regular reviews ensure permissions align with current responsibilities and help detect suspicious activity early.
For teams looking to strengthen their setup further, our Snowflake Consulting Services can help design and implement authentication policies tailored to your specific business needs.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right Snowflake authentication method isn’t just a technical decision, but also a strategic one. The right choice helps safeguard sensitive data, ensures compliance with industry regulations, and gives your team a seamless login experience that won’t slow down productivity.
So, whether you’re a small startup just getting started or a large enterprise with complex access needs, Snowflake offers flexible options to match your security and operational goals.
Need help setting up secure authentication in Snowflake? Book a free consultation.
