RSA Announces More Secure User Access to Microsoft Cloud Services and Applications

BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In order to help better secure user access to cloud services and applications, RSA, The Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC), today announced that its award-winning multi-factor authentication solution, RSA SecurID®, can be integrated with the Microsoft Windows® Active Directory® Federation Services 2.0  (AD FS 2.0). This integration can enable organizations to provide secure user access to Office® 365 cloud-based web applications such as Microsoft Exchange technology. Secure, federated access control enables an organization to extend the protection for remote users to applications deployed outside an organization's network.

Many of the world's largest and most demanding organizations have deployed critical services on the Windows Azure cloud platform.  Microsoft AD FS 2.0 is a security token service (STS) that enables identity federation across multiple IT systems and across organizations by centralizing user authentication, authorization and single sign-on to Web applications and services located virtually anywhere – including perimeter networks, partner networks, and the cloud.

"AD FS 2.0 allows our customers to extend their identity capabilities across organizations, as well as connecting their on-premises identities to cloud services," said Samuel Devasahayam, Principal Program Manager Lead, Active Directory, at Microsoft. "Identity federation is strategic to Microsoft, and we are excited to work with RSA to give customers supplemental levels of security for identity federation with AD FS 2.0."

By integrating RSA SecurID technology with Microsoft AD FS 2.0, both solutions work together to help provide secure and non-repudiable access to cloud-based or remote services with identities provisioned and administered by enterprise IT.  RSA SecurID technology solves the "weak link" issue of poorly chosen passwords by enforcing strong, multi-factor authentication.  Designed to provide secure access to corporate applications and VPNs, RSA SecurID technology also helps simplify the user experience resulting in greater efficiency of identity and access management and support which can ultimately result in lower costs.  

"RSA SecurID technology is the gold standard in authentication and is designed to provide very high levels of access security," said Sam Curry, CTO of Identity and Data Protection for RSA, The Security Division of EMC.  "By deploying RSA SecurID authentication with a service like Microsoft AD FS 2.0, it extends RSA's premier authentication control and management to virtually any enterprise resource connected to the cloud.  Organizations can take advantage of the Microsoft Office 365 services to support use cases for cloud-based collaboration, while at the same time protecting sensitive company information by requiring secure authentication of end users. This level of integration provides added confidence in the secure migration to cloud services."

Support for RSA SecurID authentication in Microsoft AD FS 2.0 is available immediately. For more information, please visit the EMC Solution Gallery website or get step-by-step guidance on integrating RSA SecurID with Microsoft AD FS 2.0 on the Microsoft TechNet website.

About RSA

RSA, The Security Division of EMC, is the premier provider of security, risk and compliance management solutions for business acceleration. RSA helps the world's leading organizations succeed by solving their most complex and sensitive security challenges. These challenges include managing organizational risk, safeguarding mobile access and collaboration, proving compliance, and securing virtual and cloud environments.

RSA offers industry-leading solutions in identity assurance & access control, data loss prevention, encryption & key management, compliance & security information management and fraud protection. These solutions bring trust to millions of user identities, the transactions that they perform, and the data that is generated. For more information, please visit www.RSA.com and www.EMC.com.

EMC, RSA and SecurID are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and other countries. Microsoft, Window, Office and Active Directory are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and/or services are trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE EMC Corporation