diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/authentication_service.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/authentication_service.ts
index 4f0f69ac68886..202fc1b98452c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/authentication_service.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/authentication_service.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ export interface AuthenticationServiceSetup {
   areAPIKeysEnabled: () => Promise<boolean>;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Start has the same contract as Setup for now.
+ */
+export type AuthenticationServiceStart = AuthenticationServiceSetup;
+
 export class AuthenticationService {
   public setup({
     application,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.mock.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.mock.ts
index 47c9dad012eae..092126e6cfeed 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.mock.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.mock.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,18 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import type { AuthenticationServiceSetup } from './authentication_service';
+import type {
+  AuthenticationServiceSetup,
+  AuthenticationServiceStart,
+} from './authentication_service';
 
 export const authenticationMock = {
   createSetup: (): jest.Mocked<AuthenticationServiceSetup> => ({
     getCurrentUser: jest.fn(),
     areAPIKeysEnabled: jest.fn(),
   }),
+  createStart: (): jest.Mocked<AuthenticationServiceStart> => ({
+    getCurrentUser: jest.fn(),
+    areAPIKeysEnabled: jest.fn(),
+  }),
 };
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.ts
index 74b4740d31ef0..50d6b0c74376e 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/authentication/index.ts
@@ -5,4 +5,8 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-export { AuthenticationService, AuthenticationServiceSetup } from './authentication_service';
+export {
+  AuthenticationService,
+  AuthenticationServiceSetup,
+  AuthenticationServiceStart,
+} from './authentication_service';
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/mocks.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/mocks.ts
index cac556d04031e..829c3ced9dddb 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/mocks.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/mocks.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ function createSetupMock() {
 }
 function createStartMock() {
   return {
+    authc: authenticationMock.createStart(),
     navControlService: navControlServiceMock.createStart(),
   };
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.test.tsx
index fa9d11422e884..d3794ddbeb1a6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.test.tsx
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ describe('Security Plugin', () => {
           features: {} as FeaturesPluginStart,
         })
       ).toEqual({
+        authc: {
+          getCurrentUser: expect.any(Function),
+          areAPIKeysEnabled: expect.any(Function),
+        },
         navControlService: {
           getUserMenuLinks$: expect.any(Function),
           addUserMenuLinks: expect.any(Function),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.tsx
index 5d86f15174633..c805d9f1caf79 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/public/plugin.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import type { LicensingPluginSetup } from '../../licensing/public';
 import type { SpacesPluginStart } from '../../spaces/public';
 import { SecurityLicenseService } from '../common/licensing';
 import { accountManagementApp } from './account_management';
-import type { AuthenticationServiceSetup } from './authentication';
+import type { AuthenticationServiceSetup, AuthenticationServiceStart } from './authentication';
 import { AuthenticationService } from './authentication';
 import type { ConfigType } from './config';
 import { ManagementService } from './management';
@@ -153,7 +153,10 @@ export class SecurityPlugin
       this.managementService.start({ capabilities: core.application.capabilities });
     }
 
-    return { navControlService: this.navControlService.start({ core }) };
+    return {
+      navControlService: this.navControlService.start({ core }),
+      authc: this.authc as AuthenticationServiceStart,
+    };
   }
 
   public stop() {