CRYPTOCard, a company that specializes in “secure password technology,” has announced what it describes as “the first positive user authentication system for the Mac OS X platform.”
CRYPTOAdmin 5.16 now secures the Mac with the introduction of the Mac ST-1 soft token for Mac OS X, according to Malcom MacTaggart, president and CEO of CRYTOCARD. Due Dec. 5, it’s “the first strong user authentication technology to enable organizations running on a Mac environment to positively identify each user attempting system access,” he added. The CRYPTOAdmin Server positively identifies each user attempting access by generating a unique and unpredictable one-time “Secure Password.” MacTaggart said. The Secure Password is only valid for the current logon attempt, and is immediately discarded after use.
CRYPTOCard’s Secure Password Technology insulates the Mac user from the complexity of traditional strong authentication approaches, MacTaggart said. You just enter the randomly-generated Secure Password, into you computer, to gain secure access from any location. The process remains the same whether logging on remotely via dial-up, ISDN or the Internet.
“Organizations realize that a traditional ‘username + static-password’ schema no longer provides adequate protection” MacTaggart said in an announcement. “Static passwords are a relic of the 50’s, and don’t provide the protection and security required in the 21st century. Obviously, an organization cannot guarantee system security if it cannot identify each individual user. Until now, an organization utilizing the Mac OS X operating system could not positively authenticate each individual attempting Web-based access.”
CRYPTOCard’s Mac ST-1 software token technology can be issued locally or remotely, depending on the situation or the organization’s security policy. The ST-1 soft token makes it easy for authorized Mac users (OS 9.x or OS X) to access the system via LAN, remote, or Web-server access, and enables administrators to instantly identify any users attempting network access from any location, MacTaggart said. Remote users can connect through firewall, RAS/NAS, or VPN.
“CRYPTOCard’s versatility enables organizations running on a Macintosh environment to customize security to meet their security policy requirements for network access,” MacTaggart said. “Administrators can restrict individual user access to specified Internet areas by limiting a particular tokens network clearance. Also, as the tokens are revocable at any time, organizations can distribute to large user populations, Intranet partners or others requiring temporary network access.”
Pricing for CRYPTOAdmin starts at US $2,495. The retail price for the Mac ST-1 soft token is $59.