AuthLite is a new two-factor authentication system brought to the market by our friends at Collective Software. Using AuthLite, you can improve security on your Microsoft networks and leverage the Active Directory to elevate your overall security position over anything you could achieve by using simple username and password authentication.
AuthLite has a number of features that you may or may not find in prohibitively more expense solutions:
- You don’t need to install new drivers to make the solution work – the only requirement is that the machine support USB
- One time passwords are generated – you don’t need to be concerned with password replay attacks
- The authentication key is powered by USB – you never need to worry about the battery going dead
- Authentication is enabled by a single press of a button on the key – no copying random strings of numbers like other solutions
- No need to dedicate servers to the solution – integrates with AD with simple setup for small or large businesses
- Integrates with ISA Firewall VPN – enable users to authenticate using two factor auth instead of username and passwords that are easily stolen or subject to brute force attacks
- Integrates with ISA Firewall Web Publishing – configure users to use strong two factor authentication to prevent users from sharing passwords to access secure Web sites
- Workstation log on security – users can be configured to require two-factor auth, while others can be configured to use it optionally
- Users configure their own keys – significantly reduces admin overhead!
I’m quite impressed with AuthLite. I’ve worked with many other two factor authentication solutions in the past, and there were always issues. They were either exceptionally expensive, or they were very difficult to install and configure, or there were integration issues with either the user repository I was using or required that I install addition servers to support the solution, or they required a lot of administrative overhead and end user education and support.
I’ve found none of this to be true of AuthLite. AuthLite is easy to install and configure, users provision their own keys, and integration with the ISA firewall for Web Publishing and VPN access as well as integration with AD for workstation logon is tight and transparent. Users set up their own keys, and it’s easy to setup a pilot program so that users can log on with or without the key. When things shake down, you can force key log on.
If you’re a small or midsized business that’s been interested in exploring the enhanced security provided by two-factor authentication, but found existing solutions too expensive to warrant consideration, then AuthLite is for you. AuthLite can be less than half the cost of other solutions, and the cost of planning and deployment will be a tiny fraction of what you’ll see in other more complex and more expensive two-factor authentication solutions.
The combination of ease of use, simplicity of configuration, cost-effectiveness, tight integration with ISA and AD, and exquisite security makes AuthLite stand out from the crowd. I highly recommend any company without a current two-factor authentication solution to consider AuthLite. I think you’ll like what you see and will agree with me that you can pay more for less, but why should you?
Check out AuthLite at http://www.collectivesoftware.com/Products/AuthLite
HTH,
Tom
Thomas W Shinder, M.D., MCSE
Sr. Consultant / Technical Writer
Prowess Consulting www.prowessconsulting.com
PROWESS CONSULTING | Microsoft Forefront Security Specialist
Email: [email protected]
MVP — Forefront Edge Security (ISA/TMG/IAG)