VOL 04 | ISSUE 04 | 2021
The
1
Most Reliable
Authentication
+
Secured Business World Be Authenticated
Solution Providers,
2021 IVAN SHUMSKY CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Regula A RENOWNED NAME IN AUTHENTICATION TECH INDUSTRY
Editor’s Desk Understanding Authentication Better
I
t is quite evident that challenges are a part of success and the foundation for any business. Businesses create value for the customers by addressing those challenges with their innovative solutions. Solving complex problems and challenges for the customers makes their day-to-day life easier and builds long-lasting relationships. And, making life easier for the customers is the end-goal for today’s modern companies. The challenges today faced by the customers are flexibility in their business processes and authentication in every part of the industry. Companies have started to shift their business over the internet, and thus, lot of data is being stored over the IT systems. Managing these valuable credentials becomes a responsibility of Authentication companies. Authentication Security companies offer solution to all such security concerns of online phishing and scams for the customers. These cybersecurity companies evolve to the security needs for the customers, simplifying life for them. It drives the right security practices and resolves the credentials issues for them. Its services range from effective security tools, authenticated access, to eliminating all types of viruses, and hackers. Risks are present across the industries particularly when valuable and confidential data flow is at stake. Authentication solution providers create a world where data can be stored or transferred safely, and under secure conditions. The security companies support the digital transformation and ensure its safety by pioneering secured solutions combined with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning systems. We have to remain agile in this era of digital transformation by taking time to understand market sustainability. We have to be open to new ideas and not afraid of these security risks. Because it is with risks one can unleash the true potential within himself. But as a company, the approach
should be safe by implementing such highly secure cyber solutions. The pandemic has already resulted in enough challenges in our lives such as the changing process of work in a digital world, driving relationships online, and leaving the data vulnerable to criminal attacks. Hence, authentication companies aim to improve digital security by authenticating the right people with the right credentials. Authentication companies will lead us to working in this direction. And, that the dream of a digital future will no longer be just a dream. Combining all this, Insights Success brings you the experience, knowledge, and expertise of such authentication companies in its new edition of “The 10 Most Reliable Authentication Solution Providers, 2021.” Featuring on the Cover Story is Regula a full-cycle company. Regula is experienced in creating information reference systems of documents and banknotes –it is the leader in this field. The enterprise is the best in making forensic devices for document authentication. Moreover, Regula will be able to authenticate the provided document. And that is a relatively near future. Regula not only manufactures equipment and develops software but also creates information reference systems and provides training on document and banknote authenticity verification. Read about more such companies who are building a secured world. Now that we’ve come to the end, do not forget to expand your knowledge with CXO standpoints by the industry experts and the creative articles crafted by our in-house editorial team. Let’s Move forward!
Sourabh More sourabh@insightssuccess.com
COVER STORY
Regula 08 A RENOWNED NAME IN AUTHENTICATION TECH INDUSTRY
32
ARTICLE
20
Secured Business World Be Authenticated!
Leader’s Viewpoint Why Startups Require a PR Strategy?
16
24 Axiad
IDprop
Leading Identity Credential Management Company
Ensuring the Mitigation of Internal and External Fraud in Property Management
28
36
Keyless
SensiPass
Protecting Privacy of Enterprises Through Passwordless Multi-factor Authentication
Re-imagining Knowledge Based Authentication
C O N T E N T S
Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Managing Editor Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Assistant Editors
Sourabh More
Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
Art & Design Director
David King
Asha Bange
Associate Designer Kushagra Gupta
Co-designer Kartik Balapurkar
Senior Sales Manager
Business Development Manager
Kshitij S
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager
Sales Executives
John Matthew
David, Martin, Sagar
Technical Head
Business Development Executives
Jacob Smile
Steve, Joe, Aidan, Binay
Technical Specialist Aditya
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive Amol Wadekar
Research Analyst Frank Adams
Database Management Stella Andrew
Circulation Manager Robert Brown
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com April, 2021
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, Company Name
Featured Person
Brief
Axiad axiad.com
Bassam Al-Khalidi Co-Founder, Co-CEO
Axiad is a leading provider of cloud-based passwordless authentication and secure interactions for users and machines, delivers a user-centric identity management platform to accelerate enterprises’ journey to passwordless.
Faception faception.com
Shai Gilboa CEO
Faception is an Israeli startup that markets a Facial Personality Analytics Technology.
Futurae Technologies futurae.com
Claudio Marforio CEO
Futurae Technologies, founded by ETH Zurich security researchers and industry leaders, offers a user authentication platform for degree security and data privacy while allowing seamless user journeys.
IDprop prop.idcheck.tech
Sara Statman Founder & CEO
Idprop is the first and only Property Management platform offering Biometric ID Verification and multiple fraud risk mitigation controls.
Keyless Technologies keyless.io
Fabian Eberle Co-Founder & COO
LogMeIn logmein.com
William Wagner CEO
LogMeIn, Inc.’s category-defining products unlock the potential of the modern workforce by making it possible for millions of people and businesses around the globe to do their best work, whenever, however, and most importantly, wherever.
OneSpan onespan.com
Scott Clements CEO
OneSpan enables financial institutions and other organizations to succeed by making bold advances in their digital transformation.
Regula regulaforensics.com
Ivan Shumsky Co-Founder and Director
Regula is the leading producer of expert devices for authenticating documents, banknotes and securities.
RSA Security rsa.com
Rohit Ghai CEO
More than 13,000 organizations globally – including more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500 – rely on RSA technology to address the challenges of security, risk management and fraud prevention in the digital era.
SensiPass Ltd sensipass.com
Mike Hill Founder and CEO
SensiPass's 3-factor mobile authentication method augments existing biometric technologies with a simple interactive step to provide better security without passwords or PIN codes.
Keyless is a deeptech, cybersecurity company building the world's first privacy-preserving biometric authentication and personal identity management platform.
C
OVER STORY
Regula A RENOWNED NAME IN
AUTHENTICATION TECH INDUSTRY
Ivan Shumsky Co-Founder and Director of Regula
YURY
RAHAZHYNSKI Yury Rahazhynski is the company’s Co-Founder and first Deputy Director and having over 40 years’ experience in the hi-tech industry. Being involved in the manufacturing process and product development, he manages all the technical issues. Under the leadership of Yury Rahazhynski, Regula has created a powerful R&D department that develops and launches unique products. Yury Rahazhynski is a developer and co-owner of more than 40 patents, inventions and software products. Yury’s secret for success “Do what you enjoy doing. And success will come."
ABOUT THE
LEADER Ivan Shumsky is the company’s CoFounder and Director, PhD in technical sciences, and having 33 years’ experience in the hardware industry. He is involved in product development, a comprehensive development strategy and promotion on the international market. Under the leadership of Ivan Shumsky, Regula has become one of the three world leaders in the production of hardware and software for document and banknote authentication. Ivan Shumsky is a developer and coowner of more than 40 patents, inventions and software products. In 2003, he defended his thesis “Automated image-based analysis of the authenticity of passports and banknotes”.
IVAN
SHUMSKY
The 10 Most Reliable Authentication Solution Providers, 2021
D
ocument authentication is the process to certify the authenticity of a document. Today, much of running a business involves working with banks and lenders. Having of good standing authorized is critical for international lending and for making sure your good reputation follows your business. Regula is a leading manufacturer of forensic equipment for authenticity verification of documents, banknotes and securities. The devices produced by Regula are supplied to more than 135 countries and in terms of innovation have no equals in the world. Every day, the company solutions are used by the specialists of the ministries of foreign and internal affairs, border control and customs services, airlines, banks, insurance companies in Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Ivan Shumsky, co-founder and director of Regula, asserts “Regula is a full-cycle company. And it is a unique phenomenon and a great rarity nowadays.” He further adds “Everything is going on here - from an idea to the final product release. Our company’s building accommodates offices, laboratories and production shops. We are very flexible and mobile. We make decisions quickly. We are independent of anyone. And these are our unique features. As we develop, we go deeper into technologies. Ten years
ago, business gurus advised us: ‘Outsource everything you can, eliminate everything that is superfluous – keep only the key competencies’ But we decided the other way: all competencies are still with us. That is our path. And we like it.” Comprehensive Authentication Solutions According to Ivan, the company’s founders come from the scientific laboratory. He believes the scientific laboratory is a place where you are by yourself and you do everything yourself. Regula is still moving strictly towards complete independence in all processes: from product prototyping to production, implementation and marketing. A substantial scientific background in precision mechanics, optics and electronics has become a fundamental base for its developments. And today the company is one of the three world leaders in the business of hi-tech forensic equipment. Regula is experienced in creating information reference systems of documents and banknotes –it is the leader in this field. The enterprise is the best in making forensic devices for document authentication. The combination of a strong scientific background with extensive practical experience in implementing unique technological developments allows us to create modern equipment and offer the best
comprehensive solutions from one manufacturer to the market. The company has representative offices in Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, Brazil, the UK and Germany. Regula has concluded distribution agreements with 85 companies from 75 countries.
The specialists of the company have developed a new generation of devices that can be even washed with soap. Now it is creating a mobile device (IP68 rated) that is protected from all external factors: one can go to a sauna with it or wash it in a washing machine. All these moments become very important and relevant during the pandemic.
Updating With New Advancements Innovation is the Key Now, when many business processes are suspended, logistics are difficult, independence at all stages of production is Regula’s key competence. The pandemic will fundamentally change the market, disrupting old schemes. Contactless technologies will take the lead and the company is already working in this direction. Just as people recognize each other from a distance, using Regula solutions they will recognize the document and its owner remotely - for example, from a distance of one meter. Moreover, Regula will be able to authenticate the provided document. And that is a relatively near future. Mobile technologies such as online banking, onboarding and so on, will actively go on developing. All information technology innovations will be available via a personal mobile device.
It is almost 30 years since Regula is on the hi-tech market. During this period, the company got convinced that integration of the most innovative developments is of paramount importance. As Lewis Carroll said “We must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere, you must run twice as fast as that!” Ivan rephrases “to stand firmly on our feet and constantly be a leading player in the market, we do a lot and actively move forward. But, of course, we do not always run.” Learn From an Expert On advising emerging entrepreneurs, Ivan Shumsky says “Everything is very simple. If you believe in your idea, if
you have energy and desire – you will succeed. Money is not so important and is not primary. What really matters is a good idea and, of course, fundamental knowledge. Without it, you won’t make progress, won’t become a pro, a guru in your business.” Leading For a Reason When Ivan Shumsky started building the business, the main advantage was that he developed rapidly and had very deep professional competence. It is still his priority and it keeps the company on the move. Today, Regula has over 80 partners all over the world. “We are smart, quick, mobile and up-to-date. It makes us stand out in the business environment and be attractive for cooperation,” says Ivan. Regula not only manufactures equipment and develops software but also creates information reference systems and provides training on document and banknote authenticity verification. Successful Projects and Cooperation One of the key events for the company was the development of the world’s first device that allowed recognition and authentication of any US driver’s license.
Regula together with Vision-Box (Portugal) implemented a project to modernize the system of border control in Brazil in the run-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2014 a special terminal of King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) was equipped with document authenticity verification devices produced by Regula. The terminal accepts passengers heading for the Hajj. In 5-7 days about 2 million passengers pass through this terminal. Within the framework of a joint international project, Regula supplies specialized equipment to the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia. In 2017 Regula supplied 100 devices to secunet (Germany) for integration into e-gates of all international airports of Austria. Regula effectively cooperates with the Border Control Department of the Ministry of Public Safety of China. Since the beginning of 2018, Regula’s system of machine-assisted document verification has been used at Shanghai airport. The leading manufacturers of e-gates, major system integrators, airlines, banks, e.g. Vision-Box, Mühlbauer, NEC, MiTAC, SITA, IATA, AirAsia, Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Daon and others prefer Regula solutions.
Bassam Al-Khalidi Co-Founder, Co-CEO
Axiad
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Stay in complete control of all your identity credentials, in the most secure and simple way.
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The 10 Most Reliable Authen ca on Solu on Providers, 2021
Axiad Leading Iden ty Creden al Management Company
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one are the days of employees struggling with forgotten passwords, or IT teams wasting time and resources on managing multiple identity credentials. Axiad offers simple credential management so you no longer have to choose between productivity and security. The company's cybersecurity experts offer an ongoing partnership for all your identity management requirements. The Axiad SMARTidentity solution will help you diagnose issues, implement solutions, and maximize resources. Axiad brings experience and knowledge, combining its expertise with industry leaders to implement & manage identity solutions that protect organizations. Providing Life-Long Customer Partnerships Axiad was founded by industry experts with extensive backgrounds in developing, deploying, and managing identity and access management products. It has experienced first-hand the challenges associated with implementing and managing mission-critical identity systems, as well as what enables their success.
Best in Class Security Standards There has been a real need for flexible, passwordless authentication tools that can be deployed and managed from anywhere. Many companies have started deploying multiple credentials to meet their various use cases for remote workers, but multiple credentials can be difficult for both IT and the end users to manage. Axiad's SMARTidentity solution enables businesses to accelerate their journey to passwordless, no matter where their employees are. It offers a unified platform to manage all your credentials that your business requires. This takes the complexity and confusion out of multiple authentication platforms and enables users to manage their credentials from the cloud, no matter where they are. Combating Security Threats The transition to remote work has introduced new security concerns – now employees face increased phishing scams,
Axiad's accumulated expertise is foundational to its business strategy. The company is driven by its customers' business needs. The organization's focus is to create value for the customers by addressing their business objectives with innovative and cost-effective solutions that minimize implementation and user adoption challenges. With the SMARTidentity solution, Axiad endeavors to make life easier for IT leaders, helpdesk teams, and the endusers. Because of this focus on solutions that can make their customers' day-to-day lives more productive, it has seen success and builds lasting customer relationships. www.insightssuccess.com
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SMARTidentity's user portal, Axiad provides One Click Issuance, a streamlined process to enroll any credential within seconds. This empowers users to take charge of their credentials without losing productivity. Simple But Effective Solutions Axiad's key solution for customers is the SMARTidentity solution. SMARTidentity enables the most secure and simple passwordless authentication experience, regardless of which authentication method/s is adopted (PKI, biometrics, tokens, TPM, smart cards, etc). The all-in-one Axiad Cloud platform allows every credential's lifecycle to be managed consistently in one place, providing a cohesive experience for the business and its users, including privileged and non-privileged users. An Excellent Problem-Solver
new security policies, and multiple credentials to manage. People are the new perimeter and securing their identities should be every organization's top priority. Axiad's SMARTidentity smartly scales to an enterprise's evolving security needs of today and tomorrow, accelerating and simplifying the path towards passwordless.
Bassam Al-Khalidi, Co-Founder & Co-CEO has over 15 years of experience in designing and deploying identity and access management solutions across large government, enterprise, and healthcare organizations. He is a leading expert in CAC/PIV smart card and PKI deployment, and has been involved in multiple enterprise-class ID badge deployments over the last several years. He has held a variety of management and senior technical roles for established industry leaders, including ActivIdentity.
Key features:
Workforce of the Future
· Axiad Airlock: SMARTidentity is the only solution to offer Airlock, which allows organizations to restrict a user's access to their full system until they take specific, companyassigned directives. This could be updating an expired credential, completing security training, activating a new device, etc. Airlock drives the right security best practices and behaviors from employees no matter where they are working, without fully locking them out of their corporate network.
The future of authentication requires a high trust MFA solution for both users and machines no matter where they are, without compromising on the user experience. Axiad believes that lasting businesses focus on customers, not competition. Over the last ten years, the company has listened to its customers and developed products based on their needs. That's why it chooses to deploy its solution as a virtual private cloud for each customer, and that's why it has developed features such as One Click Issuance and Airlock. Axiad is thrilled to raise its first outside financing with a $20 million growth round from Invictus Growth Partners. Within the next five years, it plans to use this funding to expand its team and the product offering so the company can continue serving its customers and developing authentication solutions they need.
· MyCircle: SMARTidentity offers MyCircle, a feature that allows users to gain emergency access to their system without contacting IT. If a user is locked out, they simply go to their pre-designated coworker to confirm their identity and give them access to the system and resolve their credential issues. This eliminates the need for vulnerable one-time passwords and eliminates help desk calls. · One Click Issuance: Competitors offer complex, multistep processes to issue and activate credentials. With
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Be AUTHENTICATED! E
verything we do has a process or a step to do things. Right from getting admission in the school, to the passport visas traveling abroad everything goes through the process. The process for running the business goes through the same process of the authenticity of the organization. A good business company makes sure that it follows such an authorized process with the authenticity of securing the information of the company. Like for example banks, its banking information related to customers valuable data is important, for government their confidential documents and top legal statements are important, and for all of us securing our IT becomes a priority as we are dealing in the digital era of technology. Coming to the point, businesses and industries need solutions that can be trusted and secured in terms of the everyday working of the company. For a company which is not limited with geographical boundaries, it needs to expand its services to grow all over the world. Thus, to secure the company in order to flourish globally having an authentication solution in place is the best solution for any company. These solutions are flexible, and thus, enable companies to make any complex decisions quickly. Authentication gives independence to the business with its unique feature of developing secure technologies. It keeps the businesses away from any security flaws and keeps the company ahead of the competition. And, staying ahead in the industry is the way to glory for companies.
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Businesses are moving towards this independence by implementing the security fundamentals for the development of the company. To be the best, security comprehensive solutions build the foundation for the business. The pandemic has changed the market, by transforming traditional business models into digital platforms. All businesses digital means there will be a need for authenticating the products and services, basically the IT system of the company. Companies must adapt with the authentication as fast as it can to make a difference in the world. Authentication solution serves to overcome the security problem in the computer and online world. IT companies and websites are staying ahead of these criminals with sophisticated security weapons solving real challenges for the company. In order to improve authentication in financial institutions, healthcare, and other industries, organizations should be concerned with the security of the company. A strong authentication platform improves the security of the businesses, aiding businesses work smoothly Authentication is a bold move and organizations need to stick to it. It is a paradigm shift towards cyber-criminals as it comes out-of-the-box thinking, challenging the ins and outs of the status quo. It develops successful partnerships with other organizations with similar perspectives on cybersecurity. These authentication technologies are www.insightssuccess.com
Secured Business World
helping customers to enhance security and improve customer experiences while having a guarantee of strong compliance. It is transforming how businesses interact with digital services and applications. The idea is to create a world of seamless digital service at any time and place while keeping the information and data secured. With their innovative solutions around, users can store sensitive and valuable data without worrying. It continues to remain relevant in the ever-evolving changing landscape and spearhead the developments with new solutions. Being afraid to the change is not the solution here, but to figure out the problems and to be open to critique without afraid of risks and new ideas is the key. www.insightssuccess.com
Authentication focuses on day-to-day solutions for the customers making life easier and productive for them. It has been successfully building lasting customer relationships in their journey with this quality. This transformation of solving security concerns, phishing scams, and new security solutions takes the organization to the top. It solves business problems and needs not just for today, but also for tomorrow by simplifying the path for the customers. So, it is a privilege to experience the secured platform making every individual’s life easier.
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IDprop Ensuring the Mitigation of Internal and External Fraud in Property Management An interview between Insights Success and Sara Statman, the Founder & CEO of the company, highlights how IDprop automates Property Management workflows, reduces multiple internal and external fraud risks, simplifies regulatory compliance and generates significant cost savings. Below are the interview highlights:
Give us a brief overview of IDprop, its vision, and journey since inception.
products, the first of which is IDprop: A Full Property Management suite.
Our journey began with a desire to automate business processes, improve operations and internal controls, while simultaneously mitigating key fraud risks. Manual processes are inefficient and subject to human error. Operational effectiveness ranges from a single point of access to clean standardized data through to eliminating duplication and redundancy. Inadequate internal controls may facilitate fraud. For example, if any employee can wire out funds, onboard clients and suppliers, or access any part of the system, chaos could ensue. Fraud may arise from internal staff, collusion with third-parties or external cyber crime. Let’s assume a supplier colludes with an employee and offers a kickback, or perhaps a tenant uses a fake ID to rent an apartment, then sublets it to multiple tenants, strips the apartment and disappears. Fake profiles may comprise a mix of real and fake data, making them much harder to spot. This led us to develop our own Biometric Identity Verification solution, including a liveness check, facial recognition and validation of official documents, to ensure there is a genuine profile. This is integrated into all our ERP
Idprop IDprop provides an all-in-one, cloud-based property management solution, covering Leasing, Accounting, Automated Fees and Invoicing, Online Payments, Arrears Management, Maintenance, Compliance, Operations, Client Surveys, Inspections and Appraisals. The suite also includes a CRM for Lead Management and handles Vacancies, Bookings, Tenant Progression, Background Screening with Biometric Identity Verification, E-Signing, Contracts, as well as separate Dashboards for Property Managers, Owners, Concierge, and Tenants, with useful alerts such as arrears, compliance notices, emergencies, and messaging.
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Sector coverage is comprehensive and includes the full spectrum of Property Management: Self-Storage, Residential, Single & Multi-Family, Affordable Housing, Community Associations, Student Housing, as well as Commercial Property. Systems have multiple security layers and built-in controls for access management, permissions, and fraud risk
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The 10 Most Reliable Authen ca on Solu on Providers, 2021
As the Founder & CEO, where in your opinion are organizations most susceptible to internal and external fraud risk, and what solutions have you implemented? Phishing Fraud is an increasing problem. Let me share a true story. A builder’s system had been hacked. The hacker knew the client’s name, address, email, and price – emailed the client a fake invoice with the builder’s name and logo but the hacker’s bank details – the client paid and was left out of pocket. Email is not a secure form of communication and should not be used to send out invoices. IDprop’s secure login means all invoices inside the portal originate from the real vendor and to mitigate wire fraud in general, only authorized staff may approve and pay invoices and only system-approved “fees” may be included in invoices. We will soon be launching IDpay as a secure portal for all sectors to send and receive invoices and arrange secure payments.
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mitigation. For example, only someone authorized may wire out funds, add a new owner or property and approve Supplier Fees. In addition to “Ease of Use” a core theme across all modules, is Fraud Risk Mitigation.
IDprop saves you time and money, is simple to use without training and reduces business and fraud-related risks.
In Property Management internal fraud may occur if an employee, without restricted access, adds fake properties, with fake tenants, sets up fake accounts or shell companies
Concierge Dashboard
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Dashboard Property Owner as owner, and uses this to wire out funds. These kinds of risks are present across industries, in particular when large cash-flows are at stake and are often committed by mid to senior level employees with sufficient knowledge of systems and processes. IDprop offers protection by limiting these activities to authorized staff only. Third-party suppliers may charge outsized fees or apply excessive mark-ups for equipment or spare parts. These bids may be accepted by bribing or coercing a property manager into selecting higher bids in return for kickbacks. IDprop implemented multiple fraud controls in its maintenance solution. First only someone authorized can authorise adding suppliers and approve all fee quotes and spare parts. When a work order is required, the system only displays the three lowest cost suppliers covering the repair type and location. Bookings are automated and by requiring tenant feedback, this adds in a further layer of control, to ensure the job took place. At the tenant screening stage, should fake identities pass, all screening would be meaningless. The safest way to mitigate these risks is through Biometric Identity Verification using a liveness check, facial recognition and authenticating official documents – only then will employment, credit and criminal checks relate to the real tenant.
IDprop ensures all supplier fees and product costs are first approved and stored – after a work order is complete, invoices are created automatically. Tenant and Owner invoices are automated and placed inside each user’s dashboard. If a building has multiple owners, each owner is automatically apportioned their share of income and expenses. Unpaid bills receive automated reminders and after a pre-determined delay are automatically moved to arrears management. Daily accounting is simple. Users need only enter a debit or credit into the Journal, select a Chart of Account and the system does the rest, performing double-entry bookkeeping with the journal, ledgers and Trial Balance available for real-time view. At a glance Property Managers may view multiple reports ranging from historical payments and work orders through to property vacancies of multi-owner and multi-tenanted properties – all with real-time data. Real-time dashboards are provided to each user group: Property Managers, Storage Managers, Concierge, Community Associations, Property Owners, Storage Owners, Investors and Tenants. In effect we built eight different dashboards.
Name a few of the key cost savings and attractions. Invoicing, for most firms, is a manual process, making it time-consuming, subject to human error and potential fraud.
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Fabian Eberle Co-Founder & COO Keyless Technologies
28 | April 2021
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The 10 Most Reliable Authen ca on Solu on Providers, 2021
TECHNOLOGIES Protecting Privacy of Enterprises Through Passwordless Multi-factor Authentication
T
he increasing shift to online work during the pandemic and study shone a light on many of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the cybersecurity industry. Those businesses who hadn’t upgraded to new security technology prior to the pandemic have since rushed to adopt emerging cybersecurity solutions especially those relating to authentication and identity management. The pandemic catapulted enterprises into an era of digital transformation, with thousands accessing private systems and data remotely. To protect against threats looking to exploit this crisis, enterprises need authentication solutions that offer high assurance that an end-user is who they say they are without complicating the login experience. Because of this, the authentication solutions market has benefited greatly from the pandemic, a period of great hardship for many. The silver lining is that it pushed businesses to embrace newer technologies that are more intuitive and secure. Keyless Technologies expects to see enterprises embracing emerging passwordless solutions at a much faster pace than pre-pandemic. The passwordless solutions of Keyless Technologies are helping its customers enhance security and improve customer experiences, while also guaranteeing strong compliance with cross-jurisdictional data-privacy laws.
company that is pioneering privacy-first biometric authentication and identity management solutions for enterprises. Keyless Technologies had originally set out to create a universal authentication solution to end threats caused by compromised user credentials, while simultaneously transforming how users interact with digital services and applications. The company has scaled exponentially since then. As of next month, it’ll have 40+ employees and have launched several enterprise-grade authentication and identity management solutions. Pioneering Innovative Solutions Keyless Technologies is driven by its vision to create a world where anyone can seamlessly access any digital service from any device, at any time, while keeping personal credentials safe, private, and under control. It is a deep-tech cybersecurity company, founded by leading cybersecurity experts and experienced entrepreneurs, pioneering innovative solutions to enable organizations to
Scaling Exponentially One of the leading lights of the company is Fabian Eberle, the Co-Founder, and COO. In 2019, Andrea Carmignani, Paolo Gasti, and Giuseppi Ateniese, and Fabian Eberle cofounded Keyless Technologies, a deep-tech cybersecurity
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seamlessly authenticate their users without having to store sensitive information. Ensuring Secure Authentication in Milliseconds The zero-knowledge biometric authentication solution by Keyless Technologies is based on more than 10 years of research on cryptography and biometrics. It is the first to enable companies to securely and privately authenticate users in milliseconds, using distributed nodes that can cryptographically guarantee the correctness of the authentication procedure. Keyless Technologies eliminates the need for businesses to store and protect biometric data, passwords, personal cryptographic keys, and other sensitive information without compromising on convenience and privacy. Leveraging Privacy-enhancing Technologies The team at Keyless is building passwordless authentication and personal identity management solutions that leverage advancements in privacy-enhancing technologies and multimodal biometrics. It currently offers the Keyless Authenticator™, a standalone passwordless multi-factor authentication solution and the Keyless SDK™, a whitelabelled software kit that its customers can integrate directly into consumer-facing applications.
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With Keyless, businesses are finally able to adopt zero-trust security, eliminate passwords, ensure privacy compliance, and deliver unified authentication experiences across every touchpoint. Enabling More User-Centric Authentication The main difference between Keyless and its competitors is how it stores and processes private authentication data. At Keyless, its team leverages privacy-enhancing cryptography to securely store encrypted authentication data in a zerotrust, distributed cloud environment – rather than in a centralized database or within a user’s device. Its proprietary method for storing authentication data is beyond GDPR compliant, eliminating the threat of biometric privacy breaches (as it doesn’t store or process personally identifiable information), while also enabling more usercentric authentication to digital applications, devices, and systems. Spearheading the Development of New Solutions The biggest mistake a technology company can make is slowing down on innovation because they have a product that is popular and fits the current market. At Keyless, its team knows they must continue to spearhead the development of new solutions to remain relevant in the ever-evolving threat landscape.
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Advising Future Leaders to Build Team Sustainably Fabian advises budding entrepreneurs to remain small and agile in the early stages of starting one’s company. One should take the time to figure out one’s product/market fit and build a team sustainably. He also advises them to not be
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Keyless replaces something you need to remember with who you are.
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Part of its long-term strategy is to pioneer the development of new technologies that will support the future of biometric authentication and digital identity. This will ensure that it has some of the world’s most renowned privacy and security scholars leading its research and development teams, who together are pioneering usercentric solutions leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and zero-trust cryptographic systems.
afraid to ask others for help or take risks and be open to critique and new ideas. Unleashing the Potential with Best Technologies “The integration with LUISS and Keyless is a concrete example of the potential that can be unleashed when best available technologies come together. We’ve each approached this integration with openness, flexibility and safety in mind. In doing so, we’ve been able to ensure thousands of students can continue with their studies, pass their exams and graduate” — CEO, Cisco Italy, Agostino Santoni
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Leader’s Viewpoint
WHY STARTUPS REQUIRE A
P
STRATEGY ?
M
ost startups face significant challenges, such as securing funding, recruiting the best talent, or growing a customer base. A comprehensive PR plan partly addresses these concerns, translating into a formulation for a strong foundation when building a business. With an appropriate communications strategy, you can achieve the right type of media coverage to produce the intended impression. Therefore, it's helpful for startups to invest time and resources in public relations from the very beginning. If, for example, a potential investor wants more information about your company and starts researching your business, you would need to have built both credibility - including proof of concept – as well as wide potential appeal for your product or service.
messages, and subsequently a channel mix of “delivery mechanisms”. Are you looking for the PR plan to attract visitors to your product launch, increase market visibility or help you hire new employees? Once you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve at the outset, then your communications team can work to this common goal to give it every chance of success. Ÿ
Increasing Brand Awareness: The PR objectives of a startup and those of an established company are different. A long-running company may focus on announcing a new product as an addition to its product range, or a rebranding for the purposes of effective segmentation. For startups, it will take more than disseminating a press release to the media to get coverage in top-tier news and business outlets. A wellstructured PR plan will seek to build - and consistently increase - your brand awareness. The aforementioned press release, for example, is a lever on the machine, not a strategy within its own right.
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Keeping your Business in the Media: Getting a press release out once a month will not do an effective job of creating awareness or building credibility by itself. It is vital for startups to build trust and authority within their
Let's take a look at some of the challenges that startups usually face when it comes to PR: Ÿ
Establishing PR Goals: The challenge starts with establishing your PR goals. Before asking your in-house PR person or agency to step in, you need to know what you want to achieve. Every PR agency will need an answer to that question before establishing key
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Karin Lohitnavy
own niche of expertise from the beginning as a means of mass-market differentiation from competitors who are larger and already established. This not only helps with securing funding, but also helps in positioning the brand in the mind of the consumer, and therefore beginning to build a customer base. By maintaining a regular presence in the media (one tool for which is the press release) and on social media, your startup will have a better chance of making an inaugural impact. Ÿ
Planning Ahead: Startups often neglect PR and marketing due to reservations of cost. Whilst running a startup is not an easy job, failure to prioritize your core communication strategy will leave you aimless and unsure of how to proceed via subsequent tactical steps. Leveraging the expertise of a professional PR partner can help you avoid costly marketing mistakes and amplify the value of your investments into product, patents, advertising and more.
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With budgets tight, it can be difficult for startups to achieve media coverage. Financial constraints often limit startups to hiring few people for few departments, and they may be primarily focused on production and business development. Entrepreneurs sometimes forget that PR is one of the most effective ways to tell their story. It is a powerhouse which can generate buzz about the business on various platforms, and the integration of that mix can reamplify value of each component/effort. A well-placed op-ed in a renowned tech magazine could lead to a successful round of investment, or the right employee walking through your door at just the moment. You can use the following tips to help your startup generate press for success: Ÿ
Start Early: Thinking of investing in PR, but only once your business is up and running? Implementing a PR plan from the start will create a buzz about your services
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access to connections you otherwise would not have had. It can also work out cheaper than ad spend, as well as offering access to a team of communications experts and marketers who will work with you effectively inhouse within your own company.
long before you launch in the market, and you should look to take advantage of shorter agency retainer arrangements that are designed to meet those needs. An initial 3-month PR program to support your launch is significantly more affordable, and will offer you a wealth of value-added consulting, advice, support and
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Ÿ
Startup Story: Your audience will appreciate the story of how you overcame adversity to get your business off the ground. Brand storytelling is important and creates buy-in and loyalty. Media organizations are likely to ask you about your reasons for starting the venture, your unique selling points, the brand history and that of your own career, and also your concept and the inspiration for it. Long before you will be telling your story to media, you will need to predict the questions you will be asked, how best to answer them, and how to ably represent your key messages and core brand communication pillars. This is all part of the agency's preparation with you, which will be done in close consultation to ensure it works well on all counts.
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Be Choosy: Refrain from sending out press releases simply on a basis of regularity. Aim to discover the unique facets and newsworthy elements that your audience and investors would like to know. This is the point where you will need to find the right angle to approach a journalist, and your agency's media relations experience is key here. Once you have an idea of what is newsworthy for your audience, it will be easier to define key messages that deliver your punch and cut.
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Pitch Smart: Your pitch needs to be short, to-the-point and memorable, answering questions before your investors thought of them, as well and removing any doubt re financials that don't add up. This approach works well with journalists, too. If they are able to fully understand the concept of your startup, then this lack of ambiguity is likely to result in more likelihood of the journalist being confident in running your story. Having data and numbers will make your pitch stand out; journalists appreciate hard facts and figures as they see this as being both timesaving for them and also contributing to general newsworthiness.
Launching a startup can be daunting. As an entrepreneur, you are accountable to investors, partners, board members and your employees. By implementing these simple tips, you can give a head start to your communications strategy, and also begin to develop an understanding of how an agency can help you succeed.
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Mike Hill,
Founder/CEO,
SensiPass Ltd.
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“SensiPass's 3-factor mobile authentication method augments existing biometric technologies with a simple interactive step to provide better security without passwords or PIN codes.”
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The 10 Most Reliable Authen ca on Solu on Providers, 2021
SensiPass Re-imagining Knowledge Based Authentication
W
hile the internet-powered superhighway has led to an explosion of digital connections and routes to engage online with each other, the consistent rise in cybercrime demonstrates how the cybersecurity industry is lagging behind. Authentication solutions are monotonously focused on authenticating devices and not real people, and this needs to change. Offerings that focus on taking pictures of oneself and an ID card for things like customer onboarding and vaccination IDs, invite fraud and manipulation. The industry needs to retain, not eliminate the human element in the process of user authentication as well. User authentication via an all-inclusive, human element approach is what SensiPass sets out to do, and the principle around which all its solutions stem from. Mike Hill is the Founder/CEO of SensiPass. From his first start-up as a keyboardist in a garageband, Mike has had a passion for combining technology with adventure. His background in risk management, security and technology commercialization led him to re-engineer the approach to authenticating digital identity with SensiPass. As a founder and thought leader in the space of authentication solutions, he drives the innovations behind the product, and engages consistently with industry leaders in an effort to maintain the organization at the leading edge. Mike earned his BSc in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Wisconsin. Utilizing Memorization of Interactions The invention of SensiPass was spurred by people with sensory challenges such as dyslexia and blindness that www.insightssuccess.com
could not memorize passwords. To solve this, SensiPass replaced passwords with interactions, such as a trace upon the biometric selfie, a movement pattern on one’s smartphone, or by speaking a memorized response to one’s own verbal challenge. Interactive Platform for User Authentication From this patented concept, SensiPass has built a product portfolio of passwordless 3-factor access control solutions for various critical use cases. These serve, not only to overcome the password problem, but as our relationships with computing technologies becomes more interactive and immersive, serves as a user authentication platform for all the emerging new user interfaces. Creating Highly Secure Solution All the products of SensiPass center around providing a solution that enables any particular user to interact with some biometric of their own using the computing interface made available to them at that time. There are two new products SensiPass is particularly excited about right now. One is ImmersiveID, its interactive 3FA login for immersive environments such as AR/VR that requires the user to manipulate virtual objects to gain entry to a private immersive environment. The other product SensiPass is excited about is a new 3factor dynamic digital signature to improve enforceable accountability in critical supply chains by having users prove their identity at critical events. SensiPass is April 2021
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companies in markets controlled by regulatory constraints to improve security and compliance such as financial institutions, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. These organizations are accustomed to sacrificing convenience for security. While SensiPass is unique in the ability to offer all 3-factors of security, its approach inherently improves convenience and usability as well, which further enhances its value proposition. SensiPass aims to improve digital security for companies and their end users by authenticating people, not just their credentials. Challenging the Status Quo
currently integrating this into a physical access control system to create a highly secure cyber-physical access control solution. Both products are currently being offered to organizations on the SensiPass interactive platform. Protecting Assets from Criminals The COVID-19 pandemic has forced much of the population to connect from the in-person world to the digital world, driving people to building relationships online, many for the first time, and leaving them vulnerable to all sorts of criminal attacks. Social media companies are being sued for allowing fake identities to be asserted on their websites and solving this problem manually is cost prohibitive. Staying ahead of criminals who are fast-moving and laser focused on building sophisticated AI weapons is a real challenge for the typically slow to react traditional enterprise. SensiPass as a recognized thought leader in interactive identity assurance systems, enables organizations to protect digital, physical, and human assets from internal and external offenders.
Mike’s advice to those who want to venture into the authentication solutions market is to have a bold dream and stick to it. He points out that the industry needs a paradigm shift and if criminals are not using 20–30-yearold approaches, neither should the industry. One needs to leapfrog ahead of criminals well beyond what is used today, Mike adds. SensiPass encourages and embraces out-of-the-box thinking, and to challenge the ins and outs of the current status quo. The entire SensiPass organization is passionate about its vision and is always inquiring how its platform can be applied to the latest challenges. It has developed successful partnerships with organizations that have complementary capabilities and a similar perspective on cybersecurity. Mike believes SensiPass solutions are posed to be recognized as trailblazers in the user authentication market over the next 5 years.
Authenticating People, not just their Credentials SensiPass provides strong multifactor authentication without passwords, PIN codes or extra hardware, and improves the security of biometrics by up to 3X. It simply makes biometrics smarter. SensiPass serves
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