VASCO Data Security launches DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon

November 3, 2009 · Filed Under Security Software, Software News · Comment 

VASCO Data Security Inc. announced the launch of ‘DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon’. DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon offers companies of all size a cost effective way of protecting their Windows PCs which are connected to the corporate network, against unauthorised access.

With the availability of ‘DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon’ VASCO also announces the availability of IDENTIKEY Server Enterprise Edition. IDENTIKEY is VASCO’s comprehensive authentication server for network and application security offering OTP and e-signature capability.

IDENTIKEY Server Enterprise Edition

With IDENTIKEY Server Enterprise Edition, VASCO makes IDENTIKEY based strong authentication available to a vaster range of enterprises from large companies to smaller enterprises, starting at 5 users. VASCO’s IDENTIKEY offering consists of a number of standard packages:

Standard Edition: includes authentication through RADIUS on a single server
Gold Edition: comprises authentication through RADIUS and on IIS-based applications and can be installed on a Primary server with replication on a backup server
Enterprise Edition: includes authentication through RADIUS and on IIS-based applications, as well as internet hosted business applications and offers DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon.  This edition includes licenses for 7 servers.

The solution is made extremely convenient and simple, which makes it suitable for VASCO’s channel partners to implement and straightforward for the SME to use. Furthermore the solution is highly scalable: applications and users can easily be added as the company grows.

Traditionally companies start to secure their remote access with DIGIPASS strong user authentication. The use of static password, the weakest link when it comes down to security, is replaced with a dynamic One-Time Password (OTP) generated by DIGIPASS®.

As their understanding of strong authentication grows, they look to secure other applications with the same DIGIPASS, like portals, e-commerce, online applications.

Large enterprises increasingly look at authentication to secure their business critical applications including CRM, ERP, payroll systems, SaaS-applications,… These enterprises often have offices all over the world and largely depend on network infrastructure to communicate between offices. IDENTIKEY Enterprise Edition is ideally suited for distributed environments: it can be installed on up to 7 servers offering a high availability solution for authentication and supporting the distributed working environments of large enterprises.

IDENTIKEY is based on VASCO’s core VACMAN® technology and customers can choose from a wide range of DIGIPASS authenticators, both hardware and software based, which best fit the need of the end-user.

DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon

DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon offers companies of all size a cost effective way of protecting their Windows PCs which are connected to the corporate network, against unauthorised access. Even when laptops are not connected to the LAN, they remain protected, increasing the security of data stored on them in case they go missing or get stolen.

‘DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon’, a feature of IDENTIKEY Enterprise Edition, is installed as a small software module on the end user’s Windows environment. It can be installed on desktop PCs and laptops that are connected to the corporate network. As soon as ‘DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon’ is setup, it replaces the original login window by a version that will send the login credentials to IDENTIKEY Server for verification.

When laptops are used outside the corporate network, for instance on the road or at home, the log-on module will work in unconnected mode, allowing the same strong authentication functionality as in connected mode. If the computer works in unconnected mode, the login credentials are validated against a local database of one-time passwords. These OTPs are generated when the PC is working in connected mode, and they are securely encrypted and stored. With thousands of OTPs generated upfront, the user can work for several weeks in unconnected mode.

“The need for authentication is only growing. With IDENTIKEY and a single DIGIPASS, enterprises can secure the access to corporate networks, applications and business critical data. With the extension of the IDENTIKEY product-line with standard packaged solutions and adding DIGIPASS Authentication for Windows Logon, we are able to reach out to more enterprises, ranging from the 5-employee enterprise to the multi-national with several offices worldwide,” says Jan Valcke, President and COO at VASCO Data Security.

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Is the Economic Slowdown Affecting Hacking Behaviour?

May 27, 2009 · Filed Under Internet Software, Security Software, Software News · Comment 

VASCO aXsGUARD(TM) Gatekeeper survey reveals major Internet threats in the first quarter of 2009

VASCO Data Security International, Inc., a leading software security company specializing in authentication products, announces the results of its aXsGUARD(TM) Gatekeeper Internet Threat Survey. VASCO surveyed 700 small and medium sized enterprises with 5 to 250 internet users, revealing malicious activity during the first quarter of 2009. aXsGUARD Gatekeeper is an authentication and internet security appliance, making use of VASCO’s core authentication technology.

The results of the first quarter 2009 are weighed against the first quarter of 2008 and the major trends reveal to be:

  • Viruses, viruses and more viruses, including a steady increase in “money hunting” fraud tools such as Trojans and phishing
  • Amount of spam is stable however more advanced techniques are in place to block spam
  • More employees are surfing, however more surfing behaviour policies are in place

During the first quarter of 2009 we see more active viruses than in the first quarter of 2008. The number of active viruses has more than tripled. When we look at different types of viruses we see that these have almost tripled. We see a steady increase in phishing and Banking Trojans, whereas more standard type viruses like Netsky and Bagle remain constant. We could conclude that hackers are immune against the current economic slowdown and are even more focused on password theft and account hacking to steal money from innocent computer users.

Spam is still on the rise; however it is more accurately blocked through the use of new spam blocking techniques being used by aXsGUARD. We see that through the use of grey listing in the new aXsGUARD software, the total amount of spam e-mails drop with 40 million spam e-mails per month. The use of blacklisted e-mail addressed and IP-addresses of known spammers results in a drop of another 10%. And finally of the remaining e-mail, another 50% is stopped through the use of content scanning in Q1 2009, compared to 28 % in Q1 2008. The use of combined anti-spam techniques results in over 93% of unwanted e-mail being stopped before it reaches the end-user in Q1 2008 and 89% in Q1 2009.

More and more employees are surfing. We see an increase in surfing behaviour of 32%. The number of blocked websites has almost doubled, whereas the visit to standard blacklisted websites remains stable. With the steady increase of blocked sites, we can conclude that more and more companies have policies in place. These policies regulate accepted and not accepted surfing behaviour, for instance the visit to e-commerce and social network sites during working hours.

aXsGUARD Gatekeeper is an authentication appliance which is suited for SMEs. It offers two-factor authentication and a number of optional modules providing a total security solution for network connectivity. The aXsGUARD modules consist of authentication, application firewall, firewall with DMZ and Intrusion prevention, content scanning with anti-spam and anti-virus, Trend Micro anti-virus and anti-spyware, remote connection and SSL-VPN and mail server. SME’s are typically looking for budget friendly total security solutions. aXsGUARD Gatekeeper provides an answer to the specific need of the SME by adding additional security functionality to the authentication appliance.

According to Jan Valcke, President and COO at VASCO Data Security: “Surveys such as our aXsGUARD Gatekeeper survey are necessary to demonstrate the vulnerability of companies on the Internet. Surveys as these clearly indicate that all companies, including SMEs, are vulnerable for Internet fraud. We cannot stress more the importance of being vigilant.”

Source: VASCO Data Security International, Inc.

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