Laura Hyde |
Analyst firm Gartner predicts that by the end of 2023, nine per cent of knowledge workers around the world will work fully remotely, while 39 per cent will have a hybrid arrangement. When working remotely, all of these employees still require daily access to company information and systems. This presents organisations with the unique challenge of maintaining security whilst giving access to devices outside of company buildings.
HYPR’s end-to-end identity security solutions ensure organisations are able to verify that employees are who they say they are when accessing company information remotely, without the need for a password, which is often weak and unsecure.
“Passwords have been the bane of our existence for more than 60 years,” says Sean Dyon, vice president of strategic alliances and architecture at HYPR. “The business was founded in 2014 on the core principle of eliminating the need for passwords within organisations. We’ve since become the gold-standard in passwordless multi-factor authentication and have expanded further in recent years.
“Our expanded mission involves creating a chain of trust between an identity and the credentials associated with that user for every interaction they have within an organisation, from day one as a new employee right through to their final day. Establishing this new approach to identity security meant we needed to create a new category of authentication solutions. Our Identity Assurance platform is focused on creating this trust throughout the entire identity lifecycle.”
HYPR’s Identity Assurance platform works seamlessly with Microsoft Entra ID to protect the virtual identities of workers. The platform builds upon passwordless authentication by combining passkey-based authentication with continuous risk monitoring and automated identity verification.
“These three components are the pillars of identity assurance,” explains Dyon. “It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, we all have the same issue – how can I trust that the user is who they claim to be and how do I give access to all the organisation’s critical resources to this individual who may not have set foot in the office? Verification becomes a critical component, especially as fraud techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Once a human resources employee or member of management has completed a final check, we can then give individuals direct access and register the credentials they are going to use during their employment. Our platform allows organisations to detect, prevent and eliminate identity-related risks at every step of the identity lifecycle.”
As a member of Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), HYPR has utilised Microsoft’s security products and extensive partner network to improve security for more than one billion global users in 125 countries across a multitude of industries, including finance and banking, healthcare, critical infrastructure and government.
“Our relationship with MISA is critical for any organisation that is Microsoft centric,” says Dyon. “It’s vital for businesses to ask how to maximise the existing spend they have with Microsoft and utilise the additional services that help create trusted identities for every individual within their organisation. Working with MISA provides us with access to information on how the endpoint is managed and Microsoft Defender provides indicators of compromise, which brings our risk engine into play, allowing us to adjust access policies in real time so we can provide the highest level of insurance for our customers.
“Creating this new approach to identity security isn’t just a monumental event for HYPR; it has a large impact on the Microsoft ecosystem too. Our Identity Assurance platform helps to provide a better Microsoft experience for everyone who uses it.”
“MISA has grown into a vibrant ecosystem comprised of the most reliable and trusted security vendors across the globe,” says Maria Thomson, director of MISA. “Our members, like HYPR, share Microsoft’s commitment to collaboration within the cybersecurity community to improve our customers’ ability to predict, detect and respond to security threats faster.”
This article was originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Technology Record. To get future issues delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for a free subscription.