1Kosmos has been recognized by CIOReview Magazine as the recipient of “Top 10 Identity Governance And Administration Solution Companies - 2021,” based on our proprietary methodology, reflecting its position in the industry. This profile has been developed by the CIOReview research and editorial team based on insights from an interview with Mike Engel, Chief Strategy Officer.

1Kosmos
The Future Of Identity Authentication

Mike Engel, Chief Strategy Officer

Until recently, gaining access to an enterprise network or system was with just a username and a password. That method necessarily doesn’t prove one’s identity because passwords can be intercepted. In all possibilities, it could be the owner of the account, but on the off chance that it isn’t, there was no plausible way of assuring the identity of the individual. And with the pandemic forcing employees to work from home, companies require a foolproof way of ensuring that the people logging into their systems are indeed the employees they claim to be. Most accounts provide two-factor authentication that requires the users to verify identity through tedious procedures like typing in an OTP or clicking a link that was received through an email or an SMS. There is also the looming threat of cyberattacks in the form of a ransomware attack or intercepted passwords. With every individual’s realm riddled with multiple accounts and passwords, there is a lot of unwarranted friction every time the accounts are accessed.

“There is a better way,” begins Mike Engle, Chief Strategy Officer at 1Kosmos. “We can cryptographically prove our identities with the push of a button, it is that easy today.” 1Kosmos is at the vanguard of providing a seamless and cutting-edge solution to enable users to go passwordless and prove their identity in a frictionless manner through their revolutionary Block ID.

Welcome to the Future – The BlockID Platform

BlockID ensures a frictionless solution to provide multi-factor authentication and promotes a passwordless environment. Certified to the FIDO2 and NIST 800-63-3 standards, it enables users to scan and present one or two credentials and verify that the person’s face matches the credential to achieve identity proofing. Through the platform and its various solutions, users can onboard their credentials into new or existing systems and replace their passwords with their identity to ensure safety and identity proofing. The identity documents of users are encrypted and stored in the BlockID blockchain ecosystem and can be accessed through a digital wallet whenever required. Every time a user wishes to enter any account or system, they can access the wallet, present their credentials, and prove their identity by scanning their facial biometrics through a liveness test. This allows them access by achieving multi-factor authentication. The Block ID platform supports three products offered by 1Kosmos. They include Block ID Verify, the identity proofing solution, BlockID Workforce to access online services without the hassle of usernames and passwords, and BlockID Customer that enables secure payment processing to eliminate financial fraud.

The implementation is a cinch, and there is minimal friction for the IT staff of companies to connect any of their existing systems to the authenticators because of authentication protocols such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and Open ID Connect (OIDC).

We have been working diligently to evangelize passwordless technologies in the industry

Engaging with the remote system is enabled via QR Code, making it effective and simple, very similar to scanning a QR Code at a restaurant to view the menu. “Authenticating into a website is as easy as scanning a menu,” remarks Engle.

Heralding a Passwordless Revolution

BlockID has made the lives of employees easier by removing the password tangent out and replacing it with identity. After receiving their corporate credentials from the company, employees receive a magic link that routes them to the company’s remote access website. After scanning the QR Code, the employees gain access to their corporate applications. “It reduces employee friction, there are no vectors for ransomware, and the company is always aware of the identity of the employee due to biometrics. It provides a three-fold value proposition,” says Engle.

In the wake of the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack, government agencies are trying to implement multi-factor authentication and zero trust principles to ensure the identity of the people accessing the system. Engle explains how many of these companies are struggling with that path, and 1Kosmos can help companies approach the journey from a different perspective through BlockID.

Diving further into details, Engle reveals how one of the largest telecommunications companies had a requirement to provide an authentication service for their customers and opted for 1Kosmos due to their ability to provide strong identity proofing and authentication. 1Kosmos worked together with the company and created an identity product for the company and is currently managing the same. The company not only implements the solution as a service to customers but also sells the product to their business partners as an identity service for them to conduct business. “And that’s been not only a great service for their customers but a way for them to generate revenue as well,” remarks Engle. 1Kosmos also worked with various Wall Street banks and enabled them to go passwordless and protect themselves from cyber-attacks.

Ridding the world of passwords is one of the top ten IT initiatives, and 1Kosmos is working ardently toward identitybased authentication as a concept, not just to get rid of passwords but to prove an individual’s identity as a part of a unified experience. “We have been working diligently to evangelize passwordless technologies in the industry,” Engle signs off.

1Kosmos

1Kosmos BlockID Product Lines Available in AWS Marketplace

Friday, June 02, 2023

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J: 1Kosmos, the company that unifies identity proofing and passwordless authentication, today announced the 1Kosmos BlockID distributed identity cloud service that unifies identity verification and passwordless authentication is now available in AWS Marketplace, a digital catalog with thousands of software listings from independent software vendors that make it easy to find, test, buy, and deploy software that runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This listing makes it easy for customers to test and deploy BlockID, as well as directly procure it in AWS Marketplace.

AWS Marketplace makes the BlockID platform more accessible to enterprises looking to deploy a phishing resistant approach to passwordless multi-factor authentication that delivers a frictionless user experience through non-spoofable, live biometrics with verified identity. The BlockID cloud service is designed to prevent identity impersonation, account takeover and fraud while delivering a convenient, frictionless login experience. It provides passwordless access for customers, workers, and citizens to securely transact with digital services.

“1Kosmos provides a turn-key cloud service for migrating any modern application to identity-based, passwordless multi-factor authentication, including many legacy systems,” said Huzefa Olia, Chief Operating Officer of 1Kosmos. “AWS Marketplace makes BlockID accessible to AWS customers with a streamlined procurement process. Meanwhile, our DevX environment eliminates the need for prospects to install the 1Kosmos BlockID platform to perform proof of concept trials.”

1Kosmos BlockID provides the following capabilities and benefits:

• A distributed identity cloud service that unifies identity verification and passwordless authentication in one integrated platform

• A seamless user experience with simple user onboarding and convenient access anywhere, anytime and on any device

• User-managed privacy providing individuals complete control over their personal data and the ability to share on demand with consent

• A developer-friendly SDK, APIs and over 50 out of the box integrations for easy deployment

• Advanced live biometric authentication to eliminate spoofing and verify users with over 99% accuracy

• Standards-based platform certified for NIST 800.63.3 via Kantara, FIDO2, PAD-2 and ISO 27001, and compliant with GDPR and SOC2 requirements

For more information about 1Kosmos BlockID in AWS Marketplace, please visit the public listing here.

1Kosmos Named an Overall Leader in Passwordless Authentication for Consumers Leadership Compass Report by KuppingerCole

Monday, July 01, 2024

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J.-- 1Kosmos, the company that unifies identity proofing and passwordless authentication, today announced it was named an overall leader, an innovation leader and product leader by KuppingerCole Analysts AG in their recent Leadership Compass Report on Passwordless Authentication for Consumers. According to KuppingerCole, the market for passwordless authentication products and services has witnessed exponential growth in recent years, driven by the increasing demand for secure and user-friendly authentication methods.

This report provides an overview of the market for Passwordless Authentication for Consumers products and services, and presents organizations with a compass to select the solution that best meets their customer, partner, or workforce use case needs. A copy of the report is available here with a subscription.

According to the report, it is important to note that passwordless authentication solutions tailored for enterprise use cases and those designed for consumer use cases exhibit distinct differences in response to varied expectations. Consumer-focused solutions must prioritize additional functionalities such as seamless omnichannel experiences, self-service options, robust privacy management, a consistent and user-friendly interface, and the flexibility to operate on any device.

The report also states: 1Kosmos’ unique strengths include identity proofing and onboarding capabilities, a strong and well-documented set of APIs, and innovative features such as the use of a private blockchain to store data, risk-adaptive authentication, flexible account recovery options and its FIDO 2 certification. The company appears in both the product and innovation leadership categories which should be of interest to organizations in North America and the APAC regions.

“Being named an overall leader for passwordless consumer authentication by KuppingerCole this year as well as an overall leader in the passwordless authentication report last year, highlights our ability to seamlessly support both consumer and employee use cases,” said Hemen Vimadalal, CEO of 1Kosmos. “This recognition of the 1Kosmos platform provides objective third party validation of the value we provide customers as both a product and innovation leader.”

Top 10 Identity Governance And Administration Solution Companies - 2021

Company
1Kosmos

Management
Mike Engel, Chief Strategy Officer

Description
1Kosmos secures online services from password-based attacks with a next generation approach to multi-factor authentication that delivers a frictionless user experience. 1Kosmos’s BlockID platform enables users to scan and present credentials and verify that the person’s face matches the credential to achieve identity proofing. The products offered by the company helps employees of enterprises access the networks securely and without the hassle of having to type in a long tedious password. Companies can utilize the prowess of the platform to ensure complete safety and security without having to go through multiple rounds of verification through email or OTPs.

1Kosmos The Future Of Identity Authentication