Okta unveils Okta FastPass

Responsible for countless hours of lost productivity and some of the biggest security breaches on record, passwords have long been a headache for everyone. According to Okta’s Passwordless Future Report, when employees forget passwords, 37 percent cannot access critical information needed to perform their jobs. This type of poor password hygiene creates multiple issues for employees and businesses alike. Eliminating login friction and increasing user security remains an ongoing challenge for enterprises in a world of complex application, device, and operating system ecosystems. IT and security teams need intelligent access management solutions that offer standardization and ease of use.

“IT teams are tasked with operating vast technology ecosystems made up of a diverse set of applications, operating systems, and devices, all focused on providing choice and flexibility to their workforces,” said Diya Jolly, Chief Product Officer, Okta. “Going passwordless not only makes employees happy, but it can make them more secure by relying on stronger factors like biometrics. Okta FastPass eliminates the need for a password regardless of an employee’s device choice, and highlights how Okta’s independent identity platform can deliver a truly differentiated experience for our customers. This is made possible through a significant upgrade to the Okta Identity Cloud, marrying user identity to device identity for the first time, and opening the door for incredible usability and security possibilities.”

Contextual Device Signals Power Passwordless Experiences 

Okta FastPass is made possible through the new Okta Verify application, which is either provisioned by IT or downloaded by end users on managed or unmanaged devices. Once end users register their device via the Okta Verify application, a strong binding is created in the Okta Identity Cloud between the user and the device. When accessing an Okta-managed application via a browser, desktop application, or a native mobile application, end users are not prompted for a password. This means users get an end-to-end passwordless login experience when using devices that support biometrics, from unlocking the device, to registering the device to Okta with no password prompt, to subsequent logins on the same device. Optionally, administrators can create fine-grained policies that combine Okta Device Trust, endpoint security integrations, and other adaptive policies with Okta FastPass to deliver secure, passwordless experiences for only managed, compliant devices.

“NTT DATA has over 120,000 people around the world in more than 50 countries,” said Steve Williams, Chief Information Security Officer, NTT DATA. “With our size and the needs of the clients we serve, it’s inevitable we have more people in the field than sitting in the office, making Zero Trust critical for us. Okta is an integral part of the identity-centric view of life that we've taken with our security paradigm.  Okta FastPass is a great example of how we can empower NTT DATA employees with an intuitive passwordless experience, while still maintaining invisible device policies and security. When anyone is given a choice between something that’s convenient and something that’s secure, they’re going to choose convenient."

A Passwordless Future 

NTT DATA’s vision for passwordless access is shared by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). With a heavily mobile-dependent workforce of more than 14,000 employees across 33 countries, NRC recognizes the need for stronger access security and seamless user experiences for its workforce. Using Okta’s contextual authentication policies together with push notifications and additional security verification, NRC has already begun its passwordless journey. By relying on who someone is or what they have, rather than what they know, NRC can increase communications and accessibility to key technologies for its workforce, while drastically reducing its threat landscape. 

Key Benefits of Okta FastPass include: 

• Always On productivity: Connect to Okta from any supported device and operating system without ever requiring a password.
• Modernize infrastructure: Reduce dependency on on-prem LDAP directories including Active Directory in favor of Universal Directory and empower administrators to choose any cloud-based Enterprise Mobility Management provider for device management.
• Usability: Set consistent policies and experiences across all major platforms, reducing confusion among user bases and giving users device choice as well as consistent onboarding and login experiences across all devices.
• Security: Enhance security through the combination of Okta FastPass and Device Trust to deliver passwordless login experiences to managed, compliant devices and default authentication implemented through biometric capabilities, rather than only by user-specific certifications.

A Platform Approach to Device Identity

Okta FastPass is powered by a number of Okta Platform Services, new foundational service-oriented technologies at the heart of the Okta Identity Cloud, including Okta Devices, Okta Directories, and Okta Identity Engine. Okta’s platform approach to device identity begins with the Okta Devices Platform Service. This new technology enables the Okta Identity Cloud to collect and evaluate device identity and endpoint signals.