Benzinga | Oct 21, 2020 08:09AM EDT

Marion Technical College Selects BIO-key's PortalGuard Identity and Access Management Solution for Improved Access and Security to Critical Applications

BIO-key International, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKYI), an innovative provider of identity and access management (IAM) solutions powered by biometrics, today announced that Marion Technical College, located in Marion, Ohio, has selected BIO-key's IAM to deliver cost-effective and secure Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and seamless Single Sign-On (SSO) for mission-critical applications and data.

Marion Technical College sought to provide students, faculty, and administrators with more secure and frictionless access to applications like Office 365, Canvas LMS, and PowerCampus to improve the user experience while enhancing access security to institutional data. Implementing SSO transparently to users makes the college function better. Before SSO, it was common for users to have different logins (i.e., multiple usernames and passwords) for each system, department, etc. This led to considerable user frustration and higher support costs for the college. Because a single set of credentials allows access to so many systems, it was essential to provide end-users with two-factor authentication as an effective countermeasure against cybercriminals and unauthorized access to accounts.

"The combination of SSO and 2FA allows us to provide our customers with both the incredible value of a single set of credentials as well as a higher level of security to protect their critical data," stated Mark Cochran, President of BIO-key - PortalGuard. "With students increasingly learning in digital formats, the ability to securely connect to educational systems is an important element within a safe and supportive learning environment. Many higher education institutions are pursuing initiatives for this type of cybersecurity improvement, and we are here to help other institutions to follow suit."