Data security specialist SecureDrives has launched the latest version of the GateKeeper Proximity passwordless authentication solution, which uses a wireless key to help companies automate password management and lock PCs when unattended.

The new launch extends SecureDrives’ partnership with product developer Untethered Labs and enables organisations to benefit from a range of new features that are said to increase ease of use, while maintaining the highest levels of security.

Demand for passwordless authentication is growing rapidly. According to Microsoft, more than 150 million people use passwordless authentication every month, while analysts Gartner predict that, by 2022, 60% of large and global enterprises and 90% of midsize enterprises will implement passwordless methods in more than 50% of use cases.

GateKeeper includes continuous two-factor authentication and uses AES256 encryption. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac, and integrates with Active Directory. For enterprises or multiple installations of 5 to 5,000 workstations, GateKeeper is provided as a subscription service, with price dependent on features and number of users. It is also available as a single-user version.

"What makes GateKeeper so attractive is that it's designed to provide security based on how people actually work, such as leaving their desk without logging out, and sharing computers in sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing,” explains SecureDrives CEO Paul Norbury, pictured above. No-one can possibly remember all their passwords, he adds, pointing to a survey by Accenture* that found, in healthcare, 21% of employees wrote down their usernames and passwords on paper.

* https://www.accenture.com/us-en/blogs/insight-driven-health/losing-the-cybersecurity-culture-war