Auth Point for Multi-factor Authentication and Data Protection

Posted May 28, 2019

In Blog, Managed IT Service Providers, Managed IT Services, Managed Network Services, Managed Service Provider, Managed Services, Watchguard

We use passwords constantly. From our phone pins to our network logins, we are constantly keeping up with an ever-expanding list of secret phrases and number combinations that are supposed to protect the information most dear to us. In the business world, most companies even have password policies in place that require specific combinations of alphanumeric codes, special characters, and a change every 90 days. But is it enough?

The Rise of Multi-factor Authentication

The short answer is no. With the code-cracking abilities that even the most basic computer possesses, hackers have incredible power when it comes to figuring out your password. Most recently, rainbow tables have been getting a lot of attention.

Basically, a rainbow table is a list of all possible number and letter combinations. When a hacker accesses the “hashed” password database, the rainbow table compares all of the possible combinations to the hidden passwords contained in the computer system. This process can crack a 14-character password in 160 seconds.

As password hacking became easier, it became more necessary for several layers of human authentication to come into the picture. Multi-factor authentication rose as the solution. You’ve probably used a multi-factor authentication system at some point. Some common examples include:

Using your debit card and entering the PIN
Using a website’s one-time password, typically sent through an email, to further authenticate yourself
Logging into a VPN before being able to use a network
Biometric scanning, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, then entering a password
Using an authenticator, such as Google Authenticator, which continuously creates new passcodes that must be entered to login to a website

Auth Point: Power, Safety, and Security

In the business world, where confidential data could include anything from a patient record to proprietary company secrets, a simple authenticator isn’t enough. You need multi-factor authentication that stands up to even the most sophisticated hacking events. WatchGuard’s Auth Point provides invaluable piece of mind.

According to the WatchGuard fact sheet, “AuthPoint goes beyond traditional 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) by considering innovative ways to positively identify users, and our large ecosystem of 3rd party integrations means that you can use MFA to protect access to the network, VPNs, and Cloud applications.”

Combine that with Auth Point’s digital DNA tracking, easy to use mobile application, and extensive learning resources available to customers, and you’ve got a robust, all-in-one MFA system that keeps your private data in and hackers out.

Kevin Willette, CEO of Verus Corp, had this to say about partnering with WatchGuard to bring clients Auth Point protection: “Multi-factor authentication is a necessary component for the protection of any company, big or small. With hackers becoming more creative everyday, it is also our responsibility to find innovative ways to protect our data. Auth Point offers easy-to-use solutions that meet the needs of our clients in an all-inclusive package.”

Multi-factor authentication doesn’t get any easier (or more powerful) than this.

Kyle Vinar

Kyle Vinar is Partner / President of Verus Corporation. He oversees all business operations and coaches Verus teams to continually improve on their solutions from client experience to product development and overall solution implementation. He works with all Verus resources to increase efficiencies and excellence in every aspect of their organizational roles. Kyle believes that people are the last real competitive edge that a company can have and constructing a rich culture is a vital step in running a world-class organization. Therefore he strives to create a culture within Verus that allows everyone to show up authentically and grow both personally and professionally, which in turn allows Verus Corp team members to provide clients with top-of-the-line service. Kyle helps balance strategy, capacity, and culture in such a way that has allowed Verus Corp to achieve exponential growth since he joined the company in 2013. One of Kyle’s greatest professional achievements has been in helping lay the foundation upon which Verus Corporation could be named the 2nd Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. Cloud State University. He lives in Champlin with his wife and 3 children. He has enjoyed volunteering as a soccer coach for over 6 years and was the former Director of Coaching for Rebels Soccer Club. If Kyle isn’t on the sidelines of one of his children’s soccer games or in the audience of his eldest’s musicals, he can often be found cruising scenic routes on his Harley, in a deer stand, or on the golf course.