FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
Institute of Standards and Technology log-in on average 23 times a day , leading to password fatigue .
Plus , users now expect instant access to corporate data and services from anywhere at any time from their mobile device . This means that employees using traditional but weak username and password-based authentication are inadvertently opening up their organisation to a number of sophisticated cyber threats .
Tap authentication enables authentication to multiple apps and services on multiple endpoint devices without having to recall and re-type additional codes and passwords . The process requires only three simple steps . First , users open a browser on their NFC-enabled device and then type the application URL they wish to access . Next , they enter their corporate username and password . Finally , they tap their access control card to the back of their NFC-enabled mobile device or tablet to provide the second authentication factor . The card can be read without needing to be physically inserted into a reader device .
Besides improving convenience , the tap authentication model takes advantage of the existing access control system to ensure a seamless user experience that can extend throughout the physical and IT access control infrastructure . The result is a single , more efficient and economical identity and access management system . By centralising identity and access management in this way , organisations can consolidate tasks and reduce ongoing operational costs , and also have the ability to flexibly scale and adapt capabilities while realising growing value for the organisation .
Adding tap authentication , like any other new access control capability , is difficult with a legacy physical access control system based on static , hard-toupgrade technologies . This is why so many organisations are moving to new physical access control systems that are based on dynamic technologies , and therefore
Tim Phipps is Vice President Product Marketing and Identity Assurance with HID Global
adaptable to changing needs and best practices as security threats evolve .
Today ’ s physical access control systems offer improved security of contactless high frequency or microprocessor-based smart card technology . The most effective of these smart card technologies uses mutual authentication and cryptographic protection mechanisms with secret keys , and a secure messaging protocol that is delivered on a trust-based communication platform within a secure ecosystem of interoperable products .
With a physical access control systems foundation , organisations can also support different applications on the same smart card - from access control for the parking lot , main door , individual offices , to the new capability of tapping in and out of computer applications .
Today ’ s tap authentication solutions are cloud-based and do not require any on-premises hardware to install or service contracts to maintain . IT deployment is a simple process of installing authentication system software and device apps , synchronising users with the authentication cloud service , and notifying them when they can begin using the system . Organisations also have the option of deploying conventional card readers in areas where endpoints do not have built-in NFC readers .
There are other considerations for an effective deployment . User authentication is one of five security layers that every organisation should consider . The other layers include authenticating the device , protecting the browser , protecting the application , and finally authenticating the transaction with pattern-based intelligence for sensitive transactions .
Implementing these layers requires an integrated , versatile authentication platform with real-time threat detection capabilities . This platform , combined with an anti-virus solution , provides the highest possible security against today ’ s threats .
Organisations can also consider storing biometrics on the smart card . With biometrics , users can reliably authenticate themselves with the simple touch of a finger , enabling them to log into multiple applications while providing an irrefutable audit trail .
Organisations are moving toward converged solutions that can be used to secure access to everything from doors to computers , data , applications , and cloud-based services . Tap authentication provides a key ingredient for achieving this objective , while at the same time delivering the convenience and simplicity of the tap experience . Users have already traded in mechanical keys for smart cards that open doors and gates .
Now , this same card can also replace dedicated one-time password solutions , within an access control system ecosystem that will continue to flexibly scale and adapt while delivering value to the organisation . The system investments that are made today can be preserved over time as organisations grow , evolve , and continually improve their security capabilities to combat changing threats to facilities , information security , and information privacy .
30 Issue 03 INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS