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Nclose turns multi-factor authentication on its head through its partnership with Duo Security


Johannesburg, 22 May 2018

Nclose, a specialist cyber security solution and managed detection and response (MDR) provider, recently announced its partnership with Duo, an international provider of advanced two-factor authentication both on premises and in the cloud.

Stephen Osler, founder and Business Development Director at Nclose, says his company is also excited to be presenting Duo's solution at this week's ITWeb Security Summit.

Single-factor and legacy multi-factor authentication

Classic single-factor authentication is when users log into a system relying only on their username and password combination, with no secondary verification process involved.

"With the rise of increasingly sophisticated social engineering, phishing, spyware and snooping techniques, it's easy for hackers to steal an unsuspecting user's credentials and gain access to their data," warns Osler. "So single-factor authentication is effectively obsolete."

To overcome this problem in the past, organisations turned to multi-factor authentication. When users attempted to log into a system, they were asked to verify the request with an OTP or token, the OTP being generated by push mechanism or on the user's device. This assured that nobody but the authenticated user could gain access. Yet, vendors are difficult to implement and integrate, cumbersome to administer and expensive to maintain. Users, sometimes in the hundreds or thousands, had to be issued with special components, like dongles or passcode generators, to receive a verification code to enter at the login prompt.
The new paradigm

Today, most users have a mobile device that can easily replace verification components, making legacy multi-factor authentication unnecessary. "However," reports Osler, "organisations can't just drop their existing approach; they have to transition gradually to preserve their initial investments and maintain continuity of service. Duo meets this need."

As a cloud-based or on-premises solution, Duo provides multi-factor authentication that is easy to use, deploy and manage. With the company's mobile app, users will receive a push notification when trying to log in, allowing them to verify their valid attempts or deny unknown attempts at the touch of a button.

Duo also offers legacy methods so users can continue to employ their keycode generators, dongles or other supported components. In addition, Duo delivers codes through traditional means, like automated callback or SMS text messages, for users with feature phones or who have lost their devices. Its one-time codes are time-sensitive to ensure they can never be reused after expiry.

Most importantly, companies want an agile back-end that leverages modern technologies, like mobile and cloud, to make it easy to implement, integrate and deploy, especially during a transition phase.

"This was a major driver in partnering with Duo," says Osler. "We immediately recognised their approach as a game changer for our customers."

On display

Organisations seeking an effective multi-factor authentication solution can see Duo live and in action at the Nclose stand when they attend the ITWeb Security Summit in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

"Duo offers confidence over a wide range of concerns and we'll be ready with detailed answers to any questions visitors may have," says Osler. An Nclose technical expert will also be speaking at the event about the latest developments in information security with an emphasis on managed detection and response.

ITWeb Security Summit 2018

The ITWeb Security Summit is southern Africa's definitive conference and expo for information security, IT and business professionals. This year, over 70 expert speakers will deliver key insights across seven tracks, including workshops and training courses during the expanded five-day event. The ITWeb Security Summit will be staged at Vodacom World, Midrand, from 22 to 23 May 2018; and CTICC Cape Town on 29 May 2018. Focused and interactive workshops as well as in-depth training courses will be run in the days around the main conference and exhibition.

For more information, go to www.securitysummit.co.za

For information on Security Summit Cape Town, go to http://v2.itweb.co.za/event/itweb/security-summit-ct-2018

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Editorial contacts

Leigh Angelo
ITP Communications
leigh@tradeprojects.co.za