---
title: Enabling or disabling basic authentication
description: Configure basic authentication for the administrative user interface in PingAccess, or change the password.
component: pingaccess
version: 8.3
page_id: pingaccess:pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide:pa_configuring_basic_authn
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingaccess/9.1/pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide/pa_configuring_basic_authn.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingaccess/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: August 25, 2026
page_aliases: ["pa_changing_the_password_for_basic_authn.adoc"]
superseded_by: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingaccess/9.1/pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide/pa_configuring_basic_authn.html
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
  choose-from: Choose from:
  changing-the-password-for-basic-authentication: Changing the password for basic authentication
  steps-2: Steps
---

# Enabling or disabling basic authentication

Configure basic authentication for the administrative user interface in PingAccess.

## About this task

The authentication default for the PingAccess admin console is HTTP Basic Authentication. Basic Authentication uses the HTTP Authorization header to transmit the username and password credentials. The PingAccess server response contains a `PA_UI` cookie, which is a signed JSON Web Token (JWT) *(tooltip: \<div class="paragraph">
\<p>An IETF standard container format for a JSON object used for the secure exchange of content, such as identity or entitlement information. You can find the industry standard in \<a href="https\://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7519">RFC 7519\</a>.\</p>
\</div>)*. Subsequent HTTP requests send this cookie for authentication rather than the less secure HTTP Authorization header.

Basic Authentication supports only one user, the administrator. If multiple users must access the admin UI, you should use single sign-on (SSO) *(tooltip: \<div class="paragraph">
\<p>The process of authenticating an identity (signing on) at one website (usually with a user ID and password) and then accessing resources secured by other domains without reauthenticating.\</p>
\</div>)* authentication. The Administrator username can't be changed.

## Steps

* To configure basic authentication for the admin UI:

  1. Click **Settings**, then go to **Admin Authentication > UI Authentication**.

  2. In the **Authentication Method** section:

     #### Choose from:

     * To enable basic authentication, click **Basic Authentication**.

     * To disable basic authentication and use SSO instead, click **Single Sign-On**.

       |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
       | - | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
       |   | To define a fallback administrator authentication method if the OIDC token provider is unreachable, enable the `admin.auth=native` property in the `run.properties` file. This overrides any configured administrative authentication to basic authentication. |

  3. Click **Save**.

  |   |                                                                                         |
  | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  |   | Learn more in [Admin UI SSO authentication](pa_configuring_admin_ui_sso_authn_lp.html). |

* To configure basic authentication for the admin API:

  1. Click **Settings**, then go to **Admin Authentication > API Authentication**.

  2. In the **Enable** section, select the **Basic Authentication** checkbox to enable basic authentication, or deselect the checkbox to disable it.

     |   |                                                                 |
     | - | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
     |   | Basic and OAuth authentication can be enabled at the same time. |

  3. Click **Save**.

  |   |                                                                                |
  | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
  |   | Learn more in [Configuring API authentication](pa_configuring_api_authn.html). |

## Changing the password for basic authentication

Change the password used for basic authentication in PingAccess.

### Steps

1. Click **Settings**, then go to **Admin Authentication > Basic**.

2. Enter the current administrator password.

3. Enter and confirm the new password.

   |   |                                                                                                                                    |
   | - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | The new password must meet the configured password complexity rules defined in `pa.admin.user.password.regex` in `run.properties`. |

4. Click **Save**.