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Two-Key 30-day evaluation		fade bar Two-Key fact sheet

Features and Benefits

Affordable two-factor authentication
No costly hardware tokens or smartcards
Unique Two-Key™ passcard
Simple administrator's GUI
Works with any firewall
Controls users' access rights
Free 30-day trial

Safe remote access ...

Your network is exposed to potential threats when you allow remote access to it. But what if allowing remote access is essential? How do you maintain the integrity of your IT systems without spending your entire IT budget? Two-Key™ is a simple to use two-factor authentication solution. Once implemented, a remote user can only gain access to your network if they identify themselves using their unique Two-Key™ passcard - so you can trust that they are fully authorised to enter your system. Furthermore, Two-Key™ is designed to minimise risk at a reasonable cost to your business.

Remote access security threats

Do your remote users authenticate using static or reusable passwords? With weak authentication your systems are vulnerable to attack. Hackers can fake or steal your passwords. Your attacker could be a competitor, a disgruntled employee or just an opportunist.

Secure access through your firewall

Two-Key™ works in conjuntion with your firewall to ensure your employees are properly authenticated before they can access any network resources.

Managing access rights

What happens if different remote workers have different access rights? Two-Key™ manages which resources on your network a remote user is authorised to use.

How does Two-Key™ work?

Two-Key™ has a server and a client component. The client communicates with the server when an individual remotely authenticates to the network.
  • The Two-Key™ server can be installed on either a dedicated server or on the same machine as the organisation's firewall. An individual must first authenticate to the Two-Key™ server before they can access services on your network.
  • The Two-Key™ client is used by the remote worker for authenticating to the Two-Key™ server. If the client software is not installed then a standard Telnet client can also be used.
  • Finally, each remote worker is given a Two-Key™ passcard - a credit card sized list of secure, one-time, alpha-numeric passwords.

More secure ...

The unique Two-Key™ passcard is the core of Skygate's solution. Unlike many two-factor authentication methods these secondary passwords are not generated using a cryptographic key. Instead, a random password generator is used, along with other random input, to create each unique code. The Two-Key™ server contains only an encrypted version (using a one-way cryptographic hash function) of the passwords. So even if an attacker compromised the Two-Key™ server they would only get access to an irreversibly encrypted version.

... and more affordable

Two-Key™ does not rely on costly hardware tokens or smart cards. Instead, a laminated credit card sized passcard is assigned (by the system administrator) to each remote user. A Two-Key™ passcard will last three to six months if used regularly. This, combined with lower server costs makes Two-Key™ the most affordable two-factor authentication solution available.

Simple admin GUI

Two-Key™ requires very little administration. Remote users may need to be added or deleted, access rights set or changed, or passcards issued. Two-Key™ has a simple web based GUI for day to day administration.

Easy to use

The authentication process is simple. The remote user opens the Two-Key™ client (or a Telnet client), and then connects to the Two-Key™ server. The server prompts them for their user ID and then a specific password from their Two-Key™ passcard. Once used that particular password is obsolete. The Two-Key™ server takes the password and applies the one-way cryptographic hash function to it. If the resultant code is what the Two-Key™ server was expecting then the remote user is authenticated. From this point the remote user can access network services in accordance with their access rights. For maximum security the IP address of the remote worker's computer must remain the same for them to stay authenticated. If it changes (for example if their dial-in Internet connection is disconnected) they must re-authenticate to the Two-Key™ server.

Scalability

The Two-Key™ server is only required to handle data at the point when each user authenticates. It does not route their Internet traffic after they have authenticated. As a result an average PC or server will comfortably handle many hundreds of remote workers.

Technical requirements

For maximum security Two-Key™ runs on the free Linux operating system not Windows. Customers not running Linux can purchase Two-Key™ preinstalled and preconfigured on an affordable PC.

Free 30-day trial

You can evaluate Two-Key™ for free - including support - for 30 days. Please contact us by telephone or email to arrange for an evaluation.

About Skygate

Established in 1996, we specialise in IT security, providing products, consultancy and software development to organisations. With a core team of engineers made up of Cambridge University postgraduates we have established an excellent reputation for delivering secure, effective, reliable, software solutions to an international client base.

Plain English and our ethical policy

At Skygate we're passionate about plain English and our ethical policy means we're committed to ethical banking, charitable support, recycling and Fair Trade goods.

How can we help?

If you need more information or would like to discuss how Two-Key™ can benefit your organisation then please contact us either by telephone or email: Tel: +44 (0)870 744 2230 Email: info@skygate.co.uk