Security teams and company executives have the responsibility of protecting their organization's assets. Since digitization shows no signs of slowing down and many companies have embraced the hybrid work setup, they must take into account the dangers or risks inherent in authentication. They must leverage the latest technologies to make system access safe and secure, especially for those working remotely.

What are the benefits of using risk-based authentication software?

Granting access to remote employees and other external users opens up new attack vectors for threat actors to penetrate. Risk-based authentication software addresses this problem by calculating the risks associated with authentication requests. It analyzes several factors such as user location, device, network, and past history before enabling access. This reduces the risks of unauthorized access and minimizes the inconvenience to legitimate users due to the frictionless nature of the solution.

Outlined below are the top 5 best risk-based authentication software in 2023

1 IBM Security Verify

Overview

IBM Security Verify offers deep, AI-powered context for identity and access management. It is a single-stack cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid-cloud solution that establishes a zero-trust posture. It also integrates with legacy access and CRM applications and reverses proxies to increase performance, reliability, and security.

Features

IBM Security Verify centralizes access control for cloud and on-premises applications. With one-click access, it reduces password fatigue and security risks related to credentials. It also offers adaptive access. When enabled, a risk level is assigned to each authentication attempt where users can define the policy action per risk level.

The risk-based authentication software also offers a complete view of authentication activity where users can diagnose problems and review details of high-risk events. It also features passwordless methods including FIDO2 WebAuthn, so users can authenticate through TouchID or Windows Hello. Users can also create access rules in the built-in policy manager to reduce friction across web applications without compromising the company's security posture.

IBM Security Verify also provides identity analytics. It displays the identity lifecycle risks across users, entitlements, and applications so security teams can gain further insight into violations and accumulated AI-powered risk scores. From privacy and consent management to holistic risk detection, it is a powerful platform that can provide technical agility and operational efficiency for enterprises in need of a cloud-native solution.

2 Authsignal

Overview

Founded in 2021, Authsignal serves enterprise and mid-market businesses by delivering a risk-based approach to authentication. It offers real-time fraud detection, passwordless authentication, passkeys, and a no-code rules engine. It helps secure customer journeys with global customers in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Authsignal is a drop-in authentication platform. It brings a plug-in approach to authentication that interoperates with a company's existing stack and architecture. It also supports hosting in multi-regions from APAC, EU, to North America. The authentication software also delivers rapid deployment times and significant cost-saving by supporting integrations with OpenID Connect, Foregerock, Azure AD B2C, Ping Identity, and other third-party services.

It is built to drop into any identity stack. Authsignal features a single API and full suite of mobile SDKs that integrate more swiftly than the competition that requires cloud migration. With a no-code rules engine, it provides real-time risk management. Even without developer experience, the average user can build rules and policies that get deployed in real time.

With risk-based rules, companies can deliver granular authentication experiences based on customer's actions. Executives, security teams, and even customer service gain complete visibility into customer journeys with a single view of customer actions and audit trail reporting dashboards thanks to the real-time view of actions and behavior.

Features

Passkeys

Authsignal is a market leader that offers Passkeys, a secure alternative to traditional password-based authentication. They are stored within a device and unlocked through biometrics, PIN, or pattern, eliminating the need to remember credentials that can be stolen, guessed, or compromised. When activated, users receive a prompt from the browser to authenticate with their passkey.

Passwordless Authentication

Authsignal offers best-in-class passwordless authentication methods for secure access management. The methods are customizable to match a company's logo and colors and are effortless to deploy due to the drop-in nature of the platform. Users can gain access through the following methods:

• SMS and WhatsApp One-time Password (OTP) is a straightforward approach to verify the identity of users. A user receives an authentication code that they must enter before its expiry to gain access to the company's app and other resources.

• Authenticator apps offer a smooth user experience through Time-Based OTP authentication. Users must simply scan the QR code by using the app and enter the code displayed to gain access.

• Biometrics grants access by verifying a user's identity through their unique biological traits. The most common biometric authentication methods are facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint scanners, and iris scanners.

• Authsignal also secures access through push notifications. Companies can drop the platform's SDKs into their mobile application to activate this passwordless authentication method.

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

Multifactor authentication outperforms the simple, one-factor password protection. Authsignal offers the flexibility to deploy its MFA anywhere in the customer journey, not just at the login stage. It contains dynamic risk assessment to request verification in real-time and adjust the authentication process based on the user's actions.

The authentication software may require additional authentication factors to verify the identity of users who are attempting to log into their accounts from a new location or device. In contrast, Authsignal may allow for a simpler authentication process if the user is logging into their account if they're logging in from a trusted location and device.

No Code Rules Engine

Authsignal has a no-code rules engine that allows users to build and maintain complex rules without the technical skill of a developer. It features a visual rules editor that enables admins to write, test, and monitor the effectiveness of the established in real-time.

The rules of the engine of the authentication software reduce the risks of fraud through risk scoring. Admins can identify which user has a higher risk profile and review any changes in their behavior or external factors then implement additional authentication measures to prevent potential insider threats and other third-party risks.

Single View of the Customer

Authsignal also offers a single view of the customer so admins can resolve issues faster if users are flagged for suspicious behavior. The dashboard of the authentication software provides an audit trail of user behaviors and identifies the rules that have influenced the outcome.

Admins can see the number of shared devices, time and date of last sign-in, location, and more of each authorized user. They can also challenge, block, or allow access depending on the user's activity, reducing customer support time and preventing fraudulent behavior.

Underpinned by a powerful no-code rules engine, companies can leverage Authsignal to secure customer flows, reduce customer friction, and enhance the user experience while mitigating risks and fraud. With real-time view of actions and behaviors, they monitor and increase authentication for users disguised as potential threat actors.

3 WSO2 Identity Server

Overview

WSO2 Identity Server is a modern identity and access management solution that offers an open, API-driven architecture with a broad set of developer tools to secure access for end-users. It can federate, authenticate, and manage identities across enterprise and cloud environments.

Features

WSO2 Identity Server acts as the Identity Provider. It centralizes access control for all end-users through single sign-on. They can log in with the use of a single credential and gain access to several applications, resulting in a smooth user experience. It also features identity federation, connecting multiple identity providers to authenticate users to a particular service provider, eliminating silos by delegating account and password management to the Identity Provider.

WSO2 Identity Server also provides multifactor authentication methods to further strengthen the security of an application. With various authenticators such as email OTP, SMS OPT, and so on, companies can design a robust solution. They can also substitute traditional password-based authentication with passwordless authentication to reduce costs and prevent password phishing.

Equipped with a user management dashboard, the WSO2 Identity Server provides an overview of active user sessions, login status, privileges, and other activities so admins can make informed security decisions based on real-time data. They can view, revoke, or edit consent, even terminate user sessions if deemed suspicious.

The authentication software also features access control. Admins can limit access to an organization's resources, APIs, and systems. Overall, companies can leverage the Identity Server of WSO2 for its holistic approach towards identity access management.

4 Auth0

Overview

Auth0 is the authorization and authentication platform of Okta, a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management. Companies can leverage the platform to define access roles, extend authorization capabilities to implement dynamic access control, and secure authentication for users across the organization.

The risk-based authentication software delivers convenience to users by enabling frictionless login. It also offers attack protection by detecting anomalies based on suspicious IP addresses, breached credentials, or user context. It contains all the essential features to tackle any identity use case.

Features

Auth0 secures digital access across every application for users everywhere. It features a central authorization server where admins can mitigate account hacking attacks and secure authentication. The platform is customizable from its background, fonts, and widgets to language localization, a suitable white-label solution to match the branding of a company.

The risk-based authentication software also features Adaptive MFA that requires users to authenticate when a login is deemed risky. This maintains the strong security posture of companies without compromising the seamless experience for the user. With support for different authentication factors, Auth0 gives businesses and users the flexibility they need to authenticate based on their preferences.

The platform also offers passwordless authentication through WebAuth. It allows users to authenticate through roaming authenticators like Yubikey or platform authenticators like iOS Touch/FaceID. It minimizes friction login and combats password phishing. Going passwordless also reduces the total cost of ownership since there's no need to manage password expiration or monitor breached password detection.

Auth0 also alerts companies and their users when their login credentials are detected in any known third-party breaches. It blocks breached accounts until users have changed their passwords and added MFA for additional security. For enterprise-scale account takeover prevention, companies can leverage its Credential Guard as an add-on for more coverage worldwide, real-time detection and monitoring, and a dedicated team to uncover stolen data inaccessible to scanners or scrapers.

5 OneLogin

Overview

OneLogin provides cloud-based access management for modern enterprises. It has solutions for workforce identity, customer identity, and developer experience. Trusted by over 5500 customers worldwide, it helps to secure every employee, external partner, and customer access with a simple, scalable, and easy-to-use solution.

Features

OneLogin synchronizes users from multiple directories for effective user management. It features an intuitive web-based interface that allows admins to monitor user profiles and activity, even build authentication policies or configure access control. With a single sign-on authentication system, it provides direct access to all apps, driving productivity without weakening the security posture of a company.

The authentication software also provides a frictionless, integrated user experience for multi-factor authentication, eliminating the need to use various services and cutting management time and costs for businesses. Users can log in through biometrics authentication methods or SMS OTP.

OneLogin also utilizes machine learning for its SmartFactor Authentication. It analyzes a broad range of inputs to calculate a risk score and deliver the security action against the user with a high-risk profile. Depending on the level of risk, it automatically adjusts the number of authentication factors required for the user to log in.

OneLogin elevates the security of modern enterprises with its provision of different authentication methods. It is capable of reducing the risk of unauthorized entry while maintaining the security posture of a company.

Conclusion

It's time to leverage the latest technologies and make system access safe and secure for all end-users. Choose among the top 5 risk-based authentication software in 2023 and provide a seamless user experience while securing all entry points against threat actors.