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RSA Security Plans To Extend Reach Of Two-factor Authentication Solutions
SecurityProNews
Staff Writer
2004-09-07
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Security and simplicity are key features in new two-factor authentication solutions for consumer, enterprise and small and medium-size business markets.
RSA Security today outlined its plans to extend the reach of its award-winning two-factor authentication solutions into consumer, enterprise and small and medium-size business (SMB) environments. A combination of new product announcements, expanded accessibility options and major partnerships with consumer internet service providers (ISP) and other online destinations can help individuals and businesses make the transition from weak passwords to stronger, more reliable forms of authentication and identity protection, while helping to simplify the online user experience.
"Identity theft, phishing and malware are proving that passwords are woefully inadequate for protecting sensitive information online. This is shaking the confidence of individuals and organizations using the Internet," said Art Coviello, president and CEO at RSA Security. "We established two-factor strong authentication as the standard for securing enterprise mobile and remote access, and now we are leveraging that success by providing secure, simplified, more cost-effective solutions in consumer environments, more broadly across the enterprise, and in small and medium-size businesses."
Strong authentication adds an extra layer of information security by combining something the user knows (i.e., a secret PIN) with something the user possesses (i.e., a unique RSA SecurID(R) token that generates a random, one-time password every 60 seconds). RSA Security is the market share leader in strong authentication, which is more widely accepted as the preferred method for security in secure mobile and remote access solutions. According to Coviello, strong authentication solutions must address the security demanded by increased risk and regulatory compliance, while helping to simplify the user's online experience.
Consumer Identity Protection
In a study conducted jointly by RSA Security and Opinion Research Corporation in February, 2004, more than one in three consumers said that traditional User ID/Password schemes do not offer enough protection for their personal information. Another study conducted in the United Kingdom by RSA Security and MORI Research relating to online banking showed that nearly 40 percent of all Internet users would be more likely to bank online if security measures improved. Of the respondents currently banking online, 27 percent said they would think poorly of their bank for not offering a strong authentication solution if other banks were offering such a service.
In a strategy that is intended to provide consumers with a strong authentication alternative to passwords, RSA Security is currently beta testing the RSA SecurID solution with a major ISP for use by its consumer and small-business customers, with full rollout expected later in the year. In addition, the company is in the process of completing an installation of a federated identity solution that allows for the secure, transparent exchange of trusted identities between web sites within a popular online marketplace to streamline and improve the customer experience.
Expanding Strong Authentication in the Enterprise
RSA Security announced two significant new products in the first half of 2004 that help businesses more easily deploy strong authentication across the enterprise, giving employees within an organization the ability to work in a secure networked environment. In February 2004, RSA Security unveiled the RSA SecurID(R) for Microsoft(R) Windows(R) solution, which allows Microsoft enterprise customers to deploy strong authentication for all networked users as an alternative to the traditional Microsoft Windows "user name and password" login method. Beta testing of RSA SecurID for Microsoft Windows solution is complete, with full-scale availability scheduled for October, 2004. In addition, the company also recently launched RSA(R) Sign-On Manager, combining RSA Security's strong authentication products with Enterprise Single Sign-On. This solution can help companies reduce help desk costs and can help simplify the user experience by allowing users to sign on once and obtain access to all of their online resources.
Small-to-Medium Business Options
RSA Security's authentication solutions are currently in use at thousands of small and medium-sized businesses worldwide, and the company has taken a number of steps to provide SMBs with even greater accessibility to strong authentication solutions. The company has signed agreements with several technology partners who offer managed token-based authentication services as an integral part of their managed VPN and firewall services, allowing companies to contract with a provider who offers pre-integrated strong authentication on a per-user or subscription basis. This offering helps businesses with limited internal IT resources to implement strong authentication in a more cost-effective, scalable manner. Providers offering this service include AT&T, CSC, Betrusted, RedSiren and Fiberlink.
In addition, RSA Security has expanded its value-added reseller channel by adding new VAR partners and is offering packaged options for businesses with fewer users that make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to access strong authentication solutions. In the coming months, the company plans to introduce additional new solutions that will continue to help simplify the deployment, management and use of its strong authentication solutions for SMBs.
RSA Security's initiatives for expanding the strong authentication market are essential components of its overall Identity and Access Management strategy, which provides solutions for secure mobile and remote access, secure enterprise access, consumer identity protection, federated identity, web access management and secure transactions.
About the Author:
SecurityProNews is a daily online and email publication focusing on internet security issues.
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