Cloud-based, single-card approach addresses chronic issue of lost passwords and security credentials, which cause two-thirds of data breaches.

June 23, 2014

3 Min Read
Verizon Smart Credential Secures Physical, Virtual Assets

Verizon today unveiled a new approach to stemming data breaches that combines protection of physical and virtual resources, and addresses issues posed by lost user passwords/credentials. The new Smart Credential offer combines a cloud-based service that has pay-as-you-go features with a physical security card that can be used for building access, or as part of a multi-factor security system. (See Verizon Offers New Data Breach Solution.)

Lost passwords and security credentials contribute to two-thirds of the data breaches reported in Verizon's 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report. The Smart Credential system was developed for enterprises looking to protect both physical and virtual assets, says Johan Sys, managing principal, Identity & Access Management, Verizon Enterprise Solutions .

"There is a lot of focus on protecting the virtual resources of a company but there has been a hole in the security coverage," Sys says. "Proximity cards -- those used to physically access an office building or parking garage -- are 30-year-old security systems and are actually very insecure."

The problem has been how to physically replace proximity cards for a business with multiple locations, some of which are leased, all at the same time. Verizon's approach lets companies move to a single security credential that incorporates the physical facility, and lets companies do it by paying per month, per card user.

By creating a single smart card that can be easily disabled if lost or stolen, Verizon is extending its managed security services to cover physical facilities and virtual assets and doing it in a way that lets businesses move to a more secure system without ripping out what they have today.

In addition to providing secure access to physical facilities, the cards offer logical access to workstations and networks, as well as authentication for online access to secure facilities, and digital signature and encryption that are typically part of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) system. The Smart Credential system doesn't require the new capex of a PKI approach to encrypting and authenticating data because the approach is cloud-based. The Smart Credential can be used as a basic authentication token, or as part of a multi-factor authentication system that also requires a user-provided password, or answer to a security question, or a biometric factor such as a fingerprint.

Changes are made via a web-based portal and cards that are lost or stolen can be instantly disabled. The Smart Credential system is set up to be interoperable with US government standards including the federal government's Personal Identity Verification Interoperability (PIV-I) standard.

The new Smart Credential is the latest in Verizon Enterprise Solutions' ongoing rollout of managed security options. You can find more information in the stories listed below:

— Carol Wilson, Editor-at-Large, Light Reading

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