Such a vendor is Passlogix (.com), and their v-GO SSO (Single Sign On)
product newly revved up to version 5.0. Marc Boroditsky, CEO at
Passlogix, called to explain how their approach to SSO differs from
earlier products who gave SSO a bad name.
Their patented approach relies on an intelligent client-side application
that remembers authentication procedures and reproduces them as needed
for all identity management requirements. Credentials stored on the
client PC (always a Windows PC right now) are encrypted and only
decrypted for authentication. Any directory service back end can be used
for synchronization of user management duties, such as changing access
rights, passwords, or even deleting the user. Clients can be set to sync
with directory services or even be forced to download the credentials
and leave them in cached RAM so they disappear when the sessions are
over.
Marc had plenty of interesting comments. Two factor authentication, such
as a password and a Smart Card or token? Less than 10 percent of their
customers use it. He has no answer for the old "password on the sticky
note on the monitor" or physical security of a system because he can't
control worker behavior at his client's companies. In other words, if
your company allows workers to leave logged-on machines out in the open
where anybody can walk up and start hacking, your stupid penalty is
getting hacked (my words, not Marc's).
Biometrics aren't commonly used by his customers either. It could be the
companies buy Passlogix in place of a different solution using
biometrics, or it could be those devices remain too expensive and
complicated for non-critical systems.
Marc doesn't force companies to rip and replace existing security
applications, "because they won't do it." A big part of his sales
process is helping eliminate the bad taste left by previous SSO
attempts.
Single user packages start at $70, but most companies buy thousands at a
time for major security upgrade rollouts. Their flagship customer is the
US Postal Service, with 157,000 clients authenticating to over 7,000
applications. After all the "going postal" jokes are over, that's a big
deal.
James
