Online identity protection provider Yubico and cloud server security provider CloudPassage have teamed up to provide authentication services for administrative network access in the cloud.

The partnership came about because CloudPassaged needed to provide a two-factor authentication mechanism on its Halo platform in order to protect server access in a public cloud environment. After evaluating many products, it chose Yubico’s YubiKey OTP USB key for authentication in Halo GhostPorts. 

DigitalPersona announced the release of a new version of its Pro Enterprise software solution, version 5.2.

Among the aspects of the new version DigitalPersona is touting are the extensive number of factors a company utilizing the solution can use to authenticate for access to sensitive information or secured computer stations. These factors include what a user knows, such as PINs or passwords, things you have, such as smart cards, contactless identity cards or Bluetooth devices, and things you are, such as fingerprints. 

With the implementation of its authentication security suite at Goldsworth Primary School, online identity protection provider Yubico has shown that its two-factor authentication and VPN connectivity are a viable solution in the education market.

Goldsworth, located in Woking, Surrey, UK, chose to invest in remote connectivity and authentication because many of its teachers and staff do work at home and need remote access to the school’s network. The school decided that remote authentication would provide greater security than having staff cart their laptops or memory sticks between work and home on a daily basis. 

CloudPassage has launched Halo NetSec, a firewall, two-factor authentication product that enables access to virtual servers in the public cloud.

As reported by TechWorld, Halo NetSec covers security needs for services from infrastructure providers, such as Amazon Web Services or Rackspace. Administrators can set up defense parameters without having access to an actual network. 

HP partnered with Anakam to offer a cloud-based system for identity vetting and credentials. Bryan Maybee, a solutions architect at HP, says the system can be used by the public or private sector for registering individuals to online services.

As an individual registers for an application or service the system asks them a series of questions in order to proof the identity. The questions are taken from the individual’s utility records, credit history and other public records.

The system can also be used to register the individual into a two-factor authentication system, Maybee says. The system can send a one-time passcode to the user’s mobile phone and also use voice biometrics for a third factor of authentication.  

Identive Group Inc. has formed a new product group within its business structure to provide services for integrated access control. This Converged Access group will build on technology designed for Identity as a Service/SaaS products like idOnDemand, as well as work with Identive’s products in the network access smart reader technology field.

Identive has hired industry veteran John Menzel in the role of vice president Access Control ID Solutions to lead the group. Menzel most recently worked with Ingersoll-Rand Security Technologies serving in general manager and director of marketing strategy roles. Prior to that, Menzel co-founded XceedID, a secure RFID reader and credential company, in 2003. XceedID was purchased by Ingersoll Rand in 2008. 

The Web Authorization Protocol (OAuth) has submitted OAuth 2.0, a framework for using security identity access tokens for native mobile application and API security, to the Internet Engineering Task Force’s (IETF) Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG), reports ZDNet.

The IESG put the framework into “In Last Call” status and has opened it up for comment until Feb. 6.