Smart Ways to Beat Smart Hackers

Traditional security solutions with hardware tokens are now passé, you need much smarter technologies to deal with modern day hackers
– Shibu Paul, Array Networks

With increase in cloud computing, BYOD, mobility and other trends, data security has become a far bigger challenge for organizations today. They have to face multiple threats coming from multiple channels, and constructing a well protected and secure IT infrastructure has become a major challenge. Traditionally-used security solutions are proving quite inadequate to deal with the fast changing needs of today’s dynamic business environment. So far security solutions have typically used two-factor authentication (2FA) systems which relied on hardware security tokens. But most organizations are now facing challenges with their existing IT security infrastructure.
Traditional Security Tokens Not Enough
One of the biggest concerns for organizations is dealing with unauthenticated access to systems and information which can put them in trouble. Earlier security systems built using hard tokens could generate only one-time password to provide data security. Given that employees are now always on the move and are increasingly using mobile devices to access company data, the potential threats for corporate networks have only increased. Therefore, authentication and control management have to be given much higher priority than before.
Two-factor authentication hardware solutions utilize a separate device or a security token which is issued to a user to generate a password. This provides a second layer of security to enterprise data. Earlier all organizations used different types of tokens such as OTP (one time password) tokens, USB tokens, SIM tokens, and mini tokens. These tokens offered additional security to a company’s critical infrastructure.
However, over time as organizations got more digitally connected, hackers found smart ways to break into these hardware tokens. A number of data breach incidents reported recently have been caused by stealing these security tokens. These two-factor authentication hardware solutions are also less flexible and prove costly in terms of maintenance and administration of the physical devices. In today’s highly connected digital environment, organizations have to take far more stringent security measures to protect their valuable data.
Why Software-Based Authentication
Enterprises are now moving towards software-based authentication platforms in an era of increased use of mobility, BYOD, cloud computing etc. Employees looking for a secure access to enterprise applications can deploy software based multi factor authentication along with access gateway solutions. This security solution provides an innovative software-based alternative to hard tokens, smart cards and other authentication solutions.
Secure access gateways and software-based solutions address challenges faced by enterprises, service providers and public sector organizations in providing secure remote and mobile access to applications and cloud services. They can connect users both in the office and on the go, and provide access to traditional enterprise applications as well as services running in public, private and hybrid clouds.
Two-factor and multi-factor authentication are delivered through patented software-based grids which converts static passwords or PINs into token less, one-time passwords/PINs (OTPs). Enterprises can strengthen their data security by eliminating hardware tokens and can reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Through interoperability with One Time Password authentication solutions, the access gateways adds an additional layer of defense against unauthorized access and misuse of data and applications.
Getting Smarter with Security
Security plays a central role in the digital world we live in. Software-based solutions with access gateways help businesses eliminate the need for hardware tokens and offer an innovative, costeffective and more secure way to access information while leveraging existing passwords and password infrastructure. These solutions can eliminate or mitigate a wide variety of attacks like key logging, shoulder surfing, brute force, dictionary attacks, or more.
With emerging technologies, attackers are getting more organized and sophisticated, and are able to more easily mount and fund attacks than ever before. Therefore organizations need to implement solutions which can offer them an added layer of security for compliance with regulations such as HIPAA or PCI-DSS. The solution can block the hacker’s access to the network resources.
Most business organizations today give utmost priority to the security of their IT systems as large volumes of critical information resides in them. Completing relying on usernames and passwords is no longer sufficient. Many have started deploying even more advanced authentication systems which can offer them multiple solutions like biometric, finger scanning etc. but some of these solutions also prove very costly. Organizations are looking to replace their legacy security systems with smarter solutions that are more effective and less costly.