Teleport is an open-source access platform that replaces traditional SSH keys, VPNs, and bastion hosts with certificate-based authentication, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and role-based access control (RBAC/ABAC). Built in Go, it provides a single gateway to securely access SSH servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, CockroachDB), internal web apps, Windows RDP desktops, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Teleport issues short-lived certificates instead of static credentials, enforces Just-in-Time (JIT) access, and records all sessions for audit compliance. It’s designed for teams managing distributed infrastructure who need centralized control, reduced attack surface, and seamless integration with SSO providers like GitHub, Okta, or Microsoft Entra ID.
Teleport is used by developers, DevOps engineers, and security teams to eliminate shared secrets, automate access provisioning, and maintain compliance through detailed session recording and audit trails. It integrates with existing infrastructure—fully compatible with OpenSSH—and can be deployed as a Linux daemon, Kubernetes service, or via Docker. The platform supports both self-hosted and cloud-managed deployments (Teleport Enterprise Cloud), making it suitable for hobbyists to enterprise-scale environments.
What You Get
- Certificate-based authentication - Teleport replaces SSH keys and passwords with short-lived, automatically rotating X.509 certificates for all protocols (SSH, Kubernetes, RDP, databases), eliminating credential sprawl and reducing risk of credential theft.
- Single Sign-On (SSO) integration - Supports GitHub, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, and any OpenID Connect or SAML 2.0 identity provider to authenticate users across all infrastructure resources without additional passwords.
- Just-in-Time (JIT) access and RBAC/ABAC - Enforce least privilege by granting temporary, time-bound permissions with role-based and attribute-based access control policies that apply uniformly across servers, clusters, and apps.
- Session recording and audit trail - Automatically records all SSH, Kubernetes, database, RDP, and web app sessions with full video-like playback, searchable logs, and exportable audit reports for compliance (SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR).
- No VPN or bastion host required - Securely tunnel access to resources behind firewalls and NATs using Teleport’s reverse proxy architecture, eliminating the complexity and attack surface of traditional network perimeter tools.
- Unified access for Kubernetes, databases, and web apps - Access kubectl commands via tsh, connect to PostgreSQL/MongoDB databases using native clients (psql, mongo), and reach internal web apps through a single portal—all authenticated with the same identity system.
- Docker and Kubernetes deployment support - Deploy Teleport as a container using official Docker images or via Helm charts for seamless integration into modern orchestration environments.
Common Use Cases
- Building a secure Kubernetes access pipeline - A DevOps team uses Teleport to grant developers temporary kubectl access to production clusters via SSO, with session recording for audit compliance and automatic certificate rotation—eliminating the need to share kubeconfig files.
- Securing SSH access across hybrid cloud environments - A company with on-prem and AWS servers replaces shared SSH keys with Teleport, requiring MFA and JIT approval before granting access, reducing brute-force attacks by 95%.
- Compliance-driven database access for auditors - An internal audit team connects to PostgreSQL databases using tsh db connect, with every query and session recorded for regulatory reporting—no static credentials or direct network access needed.
- Team collaboration on production incidents - Engineers share live SSH sessions in real time through Teleport’s web UI during outages, enabling peer review and knowledge transfer without exposing credentials or requiring shared accounts.
- DevOps teams managing microservices across multiple cloud providers - Teams use Teleport to unify access to GCP, AWS, and Azure VMs, Kubernetes clusters, and internal APIs through a single identity layer, reducing tool sprawl and onboarding time.
- Problem → Solution flow: Shared SSH keys lead to breaches → Teleport enforces individual identity and ephemeral certs - A company experiences a breach due to leaked SSH keys. They deploy Teleport to issue short-lived certificates tied to individual identities, enforce MFA, and audit every session—eliminating shared credentials entirely.
Under The Hood
Teleport is a secure, distributed access management platform that enables zero-trust infrastructure by providing unified identity, access control, and session management across diverse environments. It leverages a multi-language monorepo architecture to support both backend services and modern web UIs.
Architecture
Teleport follows a layered architecture with clear separation between core services and frontend components.
- The system uses modular patterns to organize backend logic in Go and frontend UIs in TypeScript/React
- Access list hierarchy management demonstrates sophisticated state handling with automatic reference updates
- Component-based design supports scalable and maintainable frontend development
Tech Stack
Teleport is built using a combination of Go for backend services and TypeScript/JavaScript for the web UI.
- Core backend is implemented in Go with gRPC and protobuf for service communication
- Frontend utilizes React, styled-components, and d3 for visualization and UI consistency
- Development tools include Vite, Webpack, and pnpm with Jest and Playwright for testing
- Comprehensive API documentation and type safety through TypeScript are key features
Code Quality
Teleport maintains a mature codebase with strong testing practices and consistent style enforcement.
- Extensive use of unit and integration tests ensures reliability across services and UI components
- Error handling follows consistent patterns with clear exception management
- Code conventions and linting support maintain readability and reduce technical debt
What Makes It Unique
Teleport introduces innovative approaches to access control and session management in distributed systems.
- Intelligent access list hierarchy management automatically updates references to maintain consistency
- Sophisticated pagination and token-based navigation handle large member sets efficiently
- Declarative state management for access lists enables real-time membership tracking and propagation
- Automated owner/memberOf reference updates eliminate manual synchronization in nested access structures