There is no doubt that cloud computing is popular nowadays. According to some reports, almost 80% of the businesses in the UK are already adopting this technology or using some forms of cloud service. One main reason for this is the savings that it promises, especially to the small to large enterprises. Specifically, its usage may cut as much as 20% from the spending of a company for information and technology equipment or solutions. With the foregoing, its popularity is expected to continue to rise even in the coming years.
What’s the catch?
However, just because lots of companies are using it, it does not necessarily mean that you should do the same. There will always be a catch to services like these that are too good to be true. One of the primary concerns when it comes to cloud computing is about security. According to a DTI Security Breaches Survey, almost 9 out of 10 large businesses reported to suffer from security breach attack. In the record of Identity Theft Resource Centre (ITRC), the number of breaches increased by 30% in 2013.
Is there a solution?
While the foregoing is quite alarming, there is no reason to panic at all. This is because there is a solution for that. As a matter of fact, there are various solutions that you can choose from in order for your company to be not a victim. One of these is the SMS 2 factor authentication, which provides a security password to the user through text message. In this option, the user will receive a unique one-time password before access can be granted. The reason why it is called a 2-factor authentication is because the SMS code received is needed along with the nominated password.
What is a managed service?
Managed authentication services are essentially a kind of service that has two-factor authentication as well. Most of these services are usually cloud-based, which means that you can access your system quickly. Aside from that, a managed service like that also eliminates the capital cost that is needed in order to roll it out; hence, making it a lot faster as well. This is important for businesses that cannot afford to postpone transactions just because they need to upgrade their security systems. Hence, companies can continue their operation and meet their targets.
Tokenless Authentication
Another option you can consider is tokenless two factor authentication. As its name suggests, this option no longer requires physical tokens in order for the user to have an access to a secured system. Hence, this makes granting of access a lot faster because tokens usually take days to be delivered to their recipient. To do this, users may choose personal device that will serve as their authentication token. This could either be a mobile phone, tablet, as well as laptop and other mobile gadgets.
