Okta Doubles Down on Multi-Factor Authentication

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 11, 2014) - Okta today announced significant enhancements to its multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution, Okta Verify, within its identity platform, offering richer security capabilities and an even more seamless experience to end users. As malicious actors and persistent attacks increase, with the enterprise shift to cloud and mobile technologies amplifying the nature of threats, the demand for strong authentication capabilities has never been higher. These new enhancements enable enterprises to easily implement more flexible authentication processes for employee or customer-facing applications through Okta Verify -- both increasing security for critical company information and offering seamless, simple access for end users.

As a part of Okta's industry-leading identity platform, hundreds of companies, including The Clorox Company and Jones Lang LaSalle, use Okta Verify to provide additional verification before allowing user access to company data. With its newly enhanced solution, Okta Verify now empowers IT to address even more complex scenarios without specialized integrations or configurations. They can implement Okta Verify across an entire organization or more specifically, targeting certain applications, internal users, external contractors or partners. IT leaders can also use Okta Verify for specific events, such as differentiating authentication processes for people accessing apps from home, at work or on the road. Additionally, using the Okta API, customers can embed this functionality directly into their applications as increased security for their own service.

"As a global commercial real estate firm, we have an important responsibility to enable our people and clients to access applications and information from anywhere while at the same time ensuring complete security of our and our clients' assets," said Clark Ardern, CTO of Jones Lang LaSalle. "Cloud is central to our strategy, but it wouldn't be feasible if we didn't have the added security that two-factor authentication provides. Not only does Okta serve as the identity foundation for our cloud strategy, but it also addresses our security requirements with Okta Verify. It's a huge benefit to get all of this from a single integrated solution." 

The new release also includes enhancements that make user authentication and access easier and more seamless -- enabling people to log in to the apps they need to do their jobs quickly and securely. Previously, Okta Verify generated a one-time pin for users that served as additional verification to log in to Okta or to Okta-protected apps. Okta Verify now supports push notifications that enable users to simply verify with a single tap on their mobile device without the need for a code, getting them directly into their applications while retaining the same level of security. Taking advantage of advances in smartphone technology, Okta Verify enables a user's device to serve as the verification by itself, boosting productivity with its efficient, simple authentication and creating an easy-to-use solution consistent with user expectations.

"Recent breaches within some of the world's largest brands show that usernames and passwords alone are simply not enough in this new world," said Todd McKinnon, CEO of Okta. "With these enhancements, we've created a complete, best-of-breed multi-factor authentication solution within our leading identity platform -- one that legacy vendors and standalone solutions can't match. Our cloud-based, integrated platform allows us to drive new use cases that aren't possible with multiple solutions, providing customers with what they need today -- and in the future."

For more information on Okta's enhanced MFA solution, please visit https://www.okta.com/product/#mfa.

ABOUT OKTA

Okta is an integrated identity and mobility management service. Built from the ground up in the cloud, Okta securely and simply connects people to their applications from any device, anywhere, at anytime. Okta integrates with existing directories and identity systems, as well as thousands of on-premises, cloud and mobile applications, and runs on a secure, reliable and extensively audited cloud-based platform.

More than 2,000 customers, including Adobe, Allergan, Chiquita, LinkedIn, MGM Resorts International, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Western Union, use Okta to improve employee productivity, increase supply chain efficiency and revenue and improve compliance. The thousands of enterprises and cloud vendors, as well as the millions of people using Okta, are the foundation of the industry's fastest growing IT network for the cloud and mobile world. Okta is backed by premier venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures and Sequoia Capital. To learn more about Okta, visit: https://www.okta.com.

Subscribe to Okta's blog: http://www.okta.com/blog
Follow Okta on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/okta
Follow Okta on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OktaIdentity