Market-leading RSA SecurID® two-factor authentication keeps hackers, vandals and cyber-criminals away from a den of sensitive information
BEDFORD, Mass.— RSA Security Inc. (NASDAQ: RSAS), the most trusted name in e-security®, today announced that Penn State University (PSU) has selected RSA SecurID® two-factor authentication technology to protect its sensitive student personnel records, grades and other important administrative information. Through the use of RSA SecurID software, PSU helps increase the productivity of its staff by enabling the flexibility and convenience of real-time access to students’ grades and university records over a high-speed Internet connection, while preserving the privacy and integrity of the data. This added layer of protection for the PSU’s administrative systems serves as a safeguard against the growing number of hackers, vandals and cyber criminals targeting the IT systems at higher learning institutions.
Nearly 11,900 PSU employees use RSA SecurID tokens to access the alumni system, manage student info in the university advisors’ office, access general administration systems and enter grades online. An RSA SecurID authenticator functions like an ATM card for your network, requiring users to identify themselves with two unique factors — something they know and something they have — before they are granted access. Each PSU employee is assigned a token, which generates a new, unpredictable code every 60 seconds. The employee then combines this number with a secret PIN to log into protected resources, such as the University grading system. “Penn State University administrators have strived to move its systems to the virtual world allowing for University personnel to access important documents anytime, anywhere,” said Ron Rash, Senior Director for Administrative Information Services at Penn State University. “Allowing our staff to work from home, the office or while traveling has lead to increased productivity. For example, a professor can grade a student project from home and immediately enter the grade from their home office computer rather than waiting until the next day they were scheduled for office hours. Our records are more thorough and management is more efficient. With the ever increasing access to information for university personnel, it is important that sensitive information, such as student grades, financial information and alumni records, be safeguarded.”
A university or any educational institution is not unlike a large company and must be protected from the same types of e-security threats as large multi-national corporations. In addition, new government regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA), are being applied by higher-education institutions to protect the privacy and confidentiality of employee and student medical records.
“This two-factor authentication deployment at Penn State University demonstrates how RSA SecurID software can help educational institutions improve access to information, increase employee efficiencies, and ultimately be more successful,” said John Worrall, vice president of worldwide marketing at RSA Security. “The RSA SecurID technology is a fast, flexible way for employees to remotely access the university’s networks without compromising the security of student or administrative records.”
The RSA SecurID system is the world’s leading two-factor user authentication solution, relied upon by thousands of organizations worldwide to protect valuable network resources. More than 15 million people around the world use RSA SecurID authenticators to securely access VPN and Remote Access applications, web servers and applications, network operating systems and more in wired and wireless environments.
About RSA Security Inc.
With more than 12,000 customers around the globe, RSA Security provides interoperable solutions for establishing online identities, access rights and privileges for people, applications and devices. Built to work seamlessly and transparently in complex environments, the company’s comprehensive portfolio of identity and access management solutions – including authentication, Web access management and developer solutions – is designed to allow customers to confidently exploit new technologies for competitive advantage. RSA Security’s strong reputation is built on its history of ingenuity and leadership, proven technologies and long-standing relationships with more than 1,000 technology partners. For more information, please visit www.rsasecurity.com.
