WinMagic Releases Open Letter to IT Security Thought Leaders
April 30 2024 - 2:30PM
Addressed to IT security thought leaders looking to defend against
cyberattacks while maintaining a good user experience, WinMagic
Corp releases an Open Letter with its vision for authentication
that transforms the aspiration of Zero Trust security into reality.
To combat the escalating risks posed by cyberattacks, Whitehouse
Memorandum M-22-09 was issued in January 2022. It sets forth a
Federal Zero Trust architecture strategy:
“The foundational tenet of the Zero Trust Model
is that no actor, system, network, or service operating outside or
within the security perimeter is trusted. Instead, we must verify
anything and everything attempting to establish access. It is a
dramatic paradigm shift in philosophy of how we secure our
infrastructure, networks, and data, transitioning from verifying
once at the perimeter to continual verification of each user,
device, application, and transaction.”
Ref: M-22-09 – “Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust
Cybersecurity Principles”
We would like to contribute to the industry with some new ways
of thinking which we believe will result in stronger and simpler
solutions. We propose the following.
- Authentication Reinvented: User can
securely access online services
frictionlessly. When the user logs into the
device, we establish the identity "user + device." Leveraging the
cryptographic capabilities of the device, the system can verify the
"user + device" with virtually unbreakable accuracy. By
binding identities to devices, we lay the
foundation for the industry's modern identity fabric.
- Secure Access Redefined: Often overlooked and
vulnerable to cyberattacks, authentication must extend to
protecting data, transactions, and sessions. We propose encryption
over authentication, which can often obviate the need for
verification. This approach simplifies federated authentication and
enhances protection at the transport layer (TLS)
to safeguard all transactions.
- Continuous Monitoring: Amidst increasingly
sophisticated attacks, continuous verification and monitoring of
users and devices are imperative. This approach seamlessly
integrates with existing industry solutions. With the capability to
manage, control, and monitor endpoints and users in real-time,
existing endpoint access solutions serve as a robust foundation for
online access solutions. This concept represents the pinnacle of
secure access: hackers cannot gain access no matter
what, as the solution only grants access to the managed
endpoint and user, not the requesting endpoint. This approach is
actually not novel at all in the banking industry. The IdP has a
"secure channel" to the endpoint, akin to a bank directing
customers to call the number on the back of their credit card
rather than responding to untrusted, unknown calls.
Cryptography is the best technology to establish trust in the
digital realm. Our focus is on applying cryptography more
effectively and widely, laying a strong foundation that supports
and simplifies other security measures.
"Cryptography serves as the cornerstone of trust
in the digital realm.” Thi Nguyen-Huu, Founder and CEO of WinMagic,
continues: “Our proposed solutions not only fortify authentication
and secure access but also simplify cybersecurity for end-users. I
view the endpoint as being the best companion for the online user,
and applied cryptography as the key to its security."
WinMagic’s contributions to the industry will help in the areas
of security related to the endpoint. The Open Letter includes
technical details. We invite you to collaborate with us on this
transformative journey toward a more secure digital future, without
user’s burden!
About WinMagic Corp.With over 25 years of
continuous innovation, WinMagic delivers feature-rich endpoint
encryption and game-changing passwordless authentication
solutions.
WinMagic’s MagicEndpoint uses MFA, including phone and token, to
authorize endpoint access for OS and pre-boot login. Users are then
granted secure access to applications and services without
requiring any user action. The endpoint transparently performs
top-of-the-line, public-key-based authentication with unbreakable
and unshared built-in crypto chips. MagicEndpoint uniquely offers
“always verify” security while delivering the best possible user
experience.
WinMagic Media Relations
marketing.team@winmagic.com
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