MobileIron Updates Its Multi-Factor Authentication for the Cloud

MobileIron Authenticator differentiates itself from existing MFA (multi-factor authentication) platforms by providing a one-touch set-up process for end users, uses smartphones instead of hardware tokens. It also integrates MFA into a routine security workflow. MobileIron, which specializes in cloud security and mobile app distribution software, on June 26 launched a new mobile application that enables organizations to verify a user’s identity using a smartphone as a second factor of authentication. MobileIron Authenticator differentiates itself from existing MFA (multi-factor authentication) platforms by providing a one-touch set-up process for end users, uses smartphones instead of hardware tokens. It also integrates MFA into a routine security workflow, the company said. According to the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, compromised credentials are the top cause of reported data breaches. To fix this problem, many organizations are now adding multi-factor authentication as additional evidence to confirm a user’s identity for access to company data. Traditional MFA, however, uses hardware tokens that are easily lost or software tokens that require inconvenient activation through QR codes. Neither of these is an ideal user experience, MobileIron contends. MFA is a wide-open market. Competitors to MobileIron include Duo, Centrify, Okta, OneLogin, Akamai, RSA (which uses tokens) and several others.