A system and method for secure authentication facilitates improving the security of authentication between a client and a target by using an innovative authentication module on a proxy. The client can connect to the proxy using a native protocol and provides client credentials to the proxy. The proxy uses an authentication module to authenticate the client and then to provide target access credentials for proxy-target authentication, thereby giving the client access to the target through the proxy. The invention facilitates connection between the client and the target without requiring the client to be in possession of the target access credentials. The proxy can optionally be connected to a privileged access management system which can provide and/or store target access credentials. Proxy-provided target access credentials facilitate preventing a client security breech from exposing target access credentials.