BIO-key offers zero trust guidance, supplies biometric access control for NY bank

Zero trust architecture is increasingly accepted as a critical part of an overall cybersecurity strategy, but organizations are struggling to adapt legacy hardware and integrate solutions from multiple vendors, according to a new white paper presented by BIO-key.

‘Why Zero Trust is Important’ was written by Osterman Research for BIO-key, and shows that implementing zero trust is now a top-five priority for 51 percent of organizations, with only 16 percent saying it is not a top priority. Identity and access management (IAM) is a key focus area for 73 percent of companies adopting zero trust, the top choice ahead of application access management (60 percent). External identity and access management, such as for customers or supply chain partners, follows at 41 percent.

Despite the high prioritization, a third of respondents say it will take two years or more, or they are not sure how long it will take to put zero trust architecture in place. Most, however, expect to complete their transition within the next two years.

The report reviews the challenges organizations face in adopting zero-trust, budget allocations, and the expected increase in micro-segmentation policies.

The white paper recommends solutions required to put zero trust cybersecurity in place, including continuous identity verification and stronger multi-factor authentication, typically in the form of centralized biometric authentication. Other recommendations include tightening top-level admin access rights, detecting the characteristics of endpoints, detecting the presence of sensitive data, and establishing resource-constrained connections.

NY bank selects PortalGuard for biometric access control at branches

Orange Bank & Trust Company, an institution headquartered in Middletown, New York, has adopted the BIO-key PortalGuard identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) platform with WEB-key biometric authentication to secure enterprise applications and bank workstations.

The bank is looking to protect access to multiple business locations with options for multi-factor authentication through a centralized, cloud-based IAM solution, and chose BIO-key’s WEB-key biometrics to confirm the user’s identity, not just the device they are using, according to the announcement.

“Our team at Orange Bank is partnering with BIO-key to provide our financial institution with a cloud IDaaS solution that delivers advanced biometric authentication,” states Kathy Pinto, VP of IT for Orange Bank & Trust. “BIO-key provides both biometric authentication and a proven suite of IAM solutions that provide security flexibility and value over approaches offered by other vendors.”

The unified IAM capabilities of PortalGuard IDaaS support Orange Bank’s strategic goal of increasing access security flexibility for improved user experiences while reducing IT resource costs and complexities, BIO-key says.

“We are glad to welcome Orange Bank & Trust to the BIO-key community of customers in New York state,” BIO-key PortalGuard President Mark Cochran says. “The PortalGuard IDaaS platform with WEB-key biometric authentication is compelling for businesses that need to architect a best-in-breed cloud security strategy to address evolving cyber threats, prove a user’s true identity, and decrease time to value.”

Article Topics

access management  |  authentication  |  BIO-key  |  biometrics  |  cybersecurity  |  digital identity  |  enterprise  |  identity access management (IAM)  |  identity management  |  multi-factor authentication  |  PortalGuard  |  Zero Trust