Cloud Security Firm CensorNet Acquires SMS PASSCODE

English cloud security provider, CensorNet, has acquired Danish multi-factor authentication vendor SMS PASSCODE.

CensorNet plans to integrate SMS PASSCODE’s multi-factor authentication technology into its cloud-based Unified Security Solution, which brings together email and web security with Cloud Application Control (CAC).

Increasing pressure

CIOs and IT departments are under increasing pressure to provide employees with reliable and secure web access, while controlling the use of cloud applications; all without compromising data security and preventing the spread of Shadow IT. Instead of going through the red tape of IT procurement, provisioning, testing and security, employees are often quick to download the latest app to access or share data.

Such a quick fix can have damaging implications on a company’s most valuable corporate assets – its intellectual property and brand reputation, notes CensorNet.

Despite improved security education and awareness within businesses, the reality is that three quarters of network intrusions involve weak or stolen passwords, the firm added, highlighting the market requirements for a product that integrates multifactor authentication into a cloud based Unified Security Solution.

Garrett Bekker, senior analyst at 451 Research, said: “Enterprises can derive more value from security when they can see the complete, bigger picture. While CAC products can provide part of that picture by helping improve visibility and dealing with ‘Shadow IT’, enterprises will ultimately need to combine CAC with other techniques such as multi-factor authentication to obtain a more holistic view of their overall SaaS security posture.”

Ed Macnair, CensorNet CEO, said: “We are the first security vendor in the world to offer CAC integrated with web security. Building on our extensive technology experience and listening to our customers, we recognised that the growth of cloud applications use, together with an increasingly mobile workforce using multiple devices, are putting CIOs under immense pressure to simultaneously encourage productivity and protect sensitive data.

“Our vision is to provide organisations with a single pane of glass that gives them visibility and control of web, cloud applications and email. With weak or stolen passwords still being the major source of network breaches integrating SMS PASSCODE’s authentication capability to our solution was a no brainer.”

“Not only will our merged technologies give the enterprise complete control and visibility over what data their staff see, but give them absolute certainty as to who someone is and where they are.”

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