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Internet Solutions first to deploy FireID to corporate base

Internet Solutions has become the first large Internet service provider to deploy locally developed FireID, a world-leading authentication solution, to its customer base.

As a consequence of this partnership, Internet Solutions can now offer its corporate clients a higher level of security than they have enjoyed to date.

Some 600 end-users at 15 companies are now protected when they use their company's virtual private network (VPN), and Internet Solutions expects this number to grow rapidly.

"We are a converged communications provider, providing a range of access solutions to our clients," says Ian Shak, security business unit manager at Internet Solutions. "Over time we realised we needed two-factor authentication for our clients' users which involves a username, password and something else. One-time passwords have been the solution to date."

However, one-time passwords as currently deployed have limitations: hardware tokens became popular, but they are costly, end-users break or lose them, batteries run down, and typically they consume the time and attention of IT.

"When we were introduced to FireID, it seemed the ideal solution. It ran on a user's cellphone, was available on many phones and platforms, was low-cost relative to imported hardware tokens, and was developed in line with open, internationally accepted standards.

"FireID was ahead of the curve in its space and had impeccable backers, so we chose to partner with them."

Internet Solutions tested FireID for a month internally with 200 staff members. "Their feedback was highly positive. They no longer needed a keyring token. When working remotely, they would simply log onto the VPN using their cellphone. This on its own was a big saving, as it cost a fraction of a hardware token but was equally secure, if not more so."

Internet Solutions has now integrated FireID into its VPN security layer, SecureConnect, and is offering all customers a choice of FireID or a hardware token for authentication.

Shak expects rapid take-up of FireID, especially as users replace their existing keyring tokens with FireID. "This will be a natural replacement," says Shak. "Our customers love it, and it engenders customer value. FireID’s one-time passwords are generated algorithmically and out of band - which means they do not rely on the Internet or cellular airwaves for authentication. In addition, we use a normal username and password and we encrypt access with 128-bit SSL.

We are sure we have given our customers the highest level of secure access in the market."

"Internet Solutions quickly grasped the opportunity FireID represented," says Jenny Dugmore, CEO of FireID. "It has become the first company in its space to understand the business opportunity and customer security that result from an engagement with FireID."

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