CARMEL, IN – July 30, 2012 – Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies announced that aptiQ smart card users can now deploy the Access Smart Power LogOn as their password manager for Windows. No longer will employees have to self-manage their passwords, a practice which can easily lead to an expensive company security breach.
"When employees self-manage their passwords, the network access authentication becomes very insecure. Passwords are written down, simple passwords are used and the same password is used for multiple sites and applications," explains Dovell Bonnett, Access Smart founder and CEO. "IT administrators using Power LogOn in combination with aptiQ smart cards can now easily add secure network access authentication. Businesses of all sizes must comply with state and federal privacy protection laws and cyber criminals are aggressively targeting businesses. Power LogOn securely authenticates a user before they are allowed past the firewall."
"Smart cards are seen by security experts as the best way to authenticate users since many require multi-factor authentication," adds Jeremy Earles, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies portfolio manager, credentials and readers. "Now, users of aptiQ smart cards can extend such security throughout their network. Computers, networks, web sites and applications, needing a user name and password, will now automatically launch and enter strong logon credentials with only two mouse-clicks."
According to Bonnet, an enterprise password manager is the first line of network defense because organizations need to know who is really knocking on their network’s “front door.” Network access authentication safeguards a company’s network and implements the data security protection required for HIPAA, HITECH, FACTA, CJIS and other compliance standards, typically controlled by user-managed PINs. Using Power LogOn and aptiQ smart cards, employees will better protect their company’s computers, networks and data from cyber thieves. The combination of both physical and logical access control on a single badge offers security, convergence and low cost of ownership.
