University is BIO-key’s first new PistolStar MFA customer amid remote passwordless IAM scramble

Students at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania will use multi-factor authentication (MFA) technology that biometrics provider BIO-key recently acquired for a range of online services under a new contract, as schools hurry to compete digital transformations before the new school year starts amid the pandemic. BIO-key will provide MFA, single sign-on (SSO) and self-service password reset capabilities across key software applications for roughly 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students with PortalGuard IAM.

The contract represents the first new customer for PortalGuard IAM solution since BIO-key acquired the solution’s developer PistolStar in a deal that closed just weeks ago. The software applications that will have their authentication systems tied together include Canvas, Everfi, ExamSoft, KnowBe4 Security Training, LinkedIn Learning, and WCOnline. The school says its priority in choosing an IAM solution was to identify one which provides strong authentication with a frictionless end-user experience.

“Managing an ever-migrating user population is a challenge for any IT department,” states Mark Cochran, president of PistolStar. “PortalGuard provides organizations with a comprehensive suite of identity and access management solutions that provide IT help desk efficiencies as well as drive security and compliance benefits. We enable the organization to develop an IAM strategy to suit its specific security and end-user requirements. Included within our solution is a self-service password reset tool, which is invaluable when managing migrating and temporary users.”

PortalGuard IAM is already trusted by hundreds of educational and other organizations across the U.S. and around the world. BIO-key acquired the company for $2.5 million with plans to offer a full stack of biometric authentication technology.

“With the additional of PortgalGuard, BIO-key now offers a comprehensive suite of IAM solutions, including BIO-key’s unmatched biometric technology and expertise. Our customizable, multifactor capabilities provide a compelling solution for a broader set of end markets and customers with diverse user population profiles, such as higher education, a key market for PortalGuard,” BIO-key CEO Michael DePasquale comments.

A West-Coast State’s Election Office recently chose BIO-key biometrics to secure its voter registration database.

New passwordless IAM products, customers, industry group position and survey data announced

ForgeRock has signed up Indonesian telecom XL Axiata to launch a cloud-based tool to unify its many customer-facing systems.

XL Axiata will use the ForgeRock Identity Platform to serve its 55 million subscribers in Indonesia and throughout the region. The company selected ForgeRock as a partner that could deliver a platform for secure and reliable identity management, and manage consent to preserve customers’ control over their own data.

A new MFA IAM solution has been introduced by TraitWare to replace passwords with a combination of factors including onboard device biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition and authentication behavior.

The TraitWare MFA solution combines possession, inherence, knowledge and location factors.

CyberArk has upgraded its remote privileged access management solution to provide alternatives to biometrics for users with non-smartphone mobile devices, according to a company announcement.

SMS and push notifications are now available for CyberArk Alero to expand its support to people without smartphones, which includes 45 percent of people in emerging market countries. The company holds six patents for CyberArk Alero features, including biometric authentication.

CyberArk acquired Idaptive for $70 million to add contextual awareness and enhanced cloud capabilities to its identity management portfolio in May.

Condatis is the latest company to join the Sovrin Foundation as a Sovrin Steward to back self-sovereign identity (SSI) adoption.

Sovrin Stewards take responsibility for managing one or more nodes in the network, and maintain a version of the ledger to confirm permissioned transactions for distribution to other nodes.

Remote identity and access management appear to need enhancement, as just under half (48 percent) of all businesses in the UK feel current cybersecurity policies are not suitable for universal working from home, according to research by Centrify.

The poll of senior decision-makers at medium-sized and large business shows three quarters have issued formal guidance or training for staff to work securely from home, and half are planning to hire IT staff or security experts. The majority of decision-makers (59 percent) see outsourced IT and third parties as an equal risk with all-organization work-from-home practices.

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed expect more phishing and breach attempts with staff working from home.

Article Topics

access management  |  BIO-key  |  biometrics  |  CyberArk  |  ForgeRock  |  identity management  |  mobile biometrics  |  multi-factor authentication  |  PortalGuard  |  Sovrin Foundation  |  stocks