SecurEnvoy strikes deal with PasswordBank

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Two-factor access to data

SecurEnvoy is to provide its tokenless authentication technology to the PasswordBank identity management offering under a partnership between the two companies.

It said it will enable users to access cloud solutions through PasswordBank's single-sign-on platform, using SMS messages for two-factor authentication. The process provides business grade security without requiring users to carry a physical token.

Under two-factor authentication, an individual can prove their identity by providing two out of three factors: something they know, such as a username, password or PIN; something they have, such as a credit card or token; or a biometric such as a fingerprint.

Authentication tokens generate a one time passcode which can be entered as part of a two-factor authentication process. They can be generated by apps on a smartphone or sent via SMS.

Steve Watts, sales director of SecurEnvoy, said: "Knowing how important security is, many companies implement two-factor authentication to ensure that they always know who is accessing their systems at any time. But forcing users to carry tokens around with them (and not letting them log in if they don't have them) defeats the point.

"By combining the freedom of using SMS messages as the second factor, with the flexibility of the cloud, suddenly workers really do have the freedom they need."