HID Global Adds FIDO2 Authentication To Its Crescendo Smart Cards To Provide Password-Less Sign-In

HID Global®, a provider of trusted identity solutions, announces it has added FIDO2 authentication to its Crescendo smart cards, enabling them to support the FIDO Alliance industry initiative focused on standards-based ‘password-less’ sign-in.

HID Global partnered with Microsoft on this effort. The company also expanded its Crescendo family with the Crescendo Key Series that brings the same FIDO2 authentication capabilities and other features of its advanced smart cards to workstations, laptops, tablets and ultra-books without requiring additional reader and driver software.

Strong authentication credentials

HID Global will be demonstrating the new cards and keys at Identiverse 2019

HID Global will be demonstrating the new cards and keys at Identiverse 2019, where it will collaborate with Microsoft and others in the identity industry to showcase FIDO2 authentication. “The Crescendo 2300 Series smart cards and Crescendo Key Series are part of HID’s high assurance solution that delivers end-to-end lifecycle management of strong authentication credentials as well as globally trusted digital certificates for email and document signing and encryption,” said Brad Jarvis, Vice President & Managing Director of Identity & Access Management Solutions (IAMS) with HID Global.

“Customers now have two form factor options for use with our unified cloud and on-premises authentication and management system. There is more to come as we work with Microsoft and other industry players to improve how secure credentials are used in a way that emphasizes convenience and privacy.”

Major industry standards

The Crescendo C2300 Series smart cards and Crescendo Key Series use a common HID authentication platform that supports all major industry standards and regulatory guidelines. They create a consistent, all-in-one access and authentication experience for users, and a simplified administrator experience for deploying high-assurance authentication so they can eliminate weak passwords that are their biggest IT vulnerability.

“Microsoft has been on a mission to eliminate passwords and help people protect their data and accounts from threats,” said Alex Simons, Corporate Vice President of Program Management, Microsoft Identity Division. “We are pleased to see companies like HID Global support that goal by adding FIDO2 authentication support and joining our security association.”

Cloud authentication

The Crescendo keys use Near Field Communications (NFC) and USB-A and C ports to deliver the same capabilities

HID Global’s expanded Crescendo offering delivers a consistent set of capabilities, regardless of form factor, through its authentication platform for HID Hardware Authenticators. The Crescendo keys use Near Field Communications (NFC) and USB-A and C ports to deliver the same capabilities as the Crescendo smart cards.

The cards also support HID’s Seos credential technology to enable unified enterprise badges that combine visual identification, network and cloud authentication and physical access, improving convenience for employees and contractors who can tap to open the door and tap to authenticate to Windows and cloud applications.

Digital identity guidelines

The cards and keys also:

• Provide multi-protocol support for public key infrastructure (PKI) digital certificates, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) digital signature and encryption, the Open Authentication (OATH) open reference architecture, and the emerging Fast Identity Online (FIDO) industry standard -- the backbone of Microsoft’s Windows Hello Security Key for protecting access to Windows and Azure Active Directory.
• Future-proof compliance with widely used finance and healthcare privacy and security regulations by leveraging native platform support for strong authentication options using emerging and broadly adopted industry
• Align with NIST SP800-63 Digital Identity Guidelines for achieving Authenticator Assurance Level 3

The Crescendo C2300 dual-interface smart cards and Crescendo keys are available in sample quantities now. Volume availability will commence in the third quarter of 2019. See live demonstrations at Identiverse 2019. Visit HID in booth #324 at Identiverse 2019 from June 25-28 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. for live demonstrations of its latest Crescendo solutions.