Remote work is convenient. It is flexible. But it does also come with significant cybersecurity challenges. The ability to work from anywhere opens the potential for sensitive data to be exposed to unauthorized users, leading to financial and reputational consequences. In fact, as hybrid work models gain popularity, cybercrime rates have skyrocketed, and experts predict that the global cost of cybercrime in 2023 will exceed a staggering $8 trillion, according to Cybercrime Magazine.
Organizations are now implementing security measures such as MFA to safeguard their endpoints and data. There is a catch, though. These measures may prove ineffective when the authentication server is offline or inaccessible. This vulnerability leaves organizations exposed to potential attacks, giving cybercriminals an opportunity to exploit security gaps.
Even more concerning is the fact that once a compromised machine regains access to the server, attackers can move laterally through the network, infiltrating other areas and gaining access to highly sensitive data. This poses an imminent threat to the organization, as the reach and impact of such breaches can be substantial.
This is where ManageEngine's identity security solution, ADSelfService Plus (and its new offline MFA for Windows feature) plays a crucial role in hardening endpoint security as well as network security.
ManageEngine is a provider of IT management software solutions. Their comprehensive suite of user-friendly products helps businesses effectively manage various aspects of IT infrastructure and operations. They offer solutions for network and server management, application performance monitoring, help desk support and security.
One of those solutions is ADSelfService Plus. The self-service password management and single sign-on solution allows users to reset forgotten passwords, unlock locked accounts and update personal information in the Active Directory without IT assistance. The solution also offers single sign-on functionality, comprehensive reporting capabilities and MFA options, including the new offline MFA option.
This new feature allows organizations to secure their data with next-gen authentication methods that prevent unsecured access to remote machines even when they are disconnected from the internet or when the authentication server is inaccessible.
"ADSelfService Plus enables remote work by ensuring authorized, secure access to the enterprise network, resources and the data held in them,” said Parthiban Paramasivam, Director of Product Management, ADSelfService Plus. “Its offline MFA feature mandates identity verification beyond a mere password and expands the security perimeter to physical devices that may be accessed offline, such as the laptop of a senior executive who is on the road or an engineer at a remote client site."
This feature also helps meet compliance requirements for various industries across defense, medical and financial sectors. Regulations such as HIPAA, the PCI DSS and the GDPR recommend or mandate the use of MFA for access to sensitive data. With ADSelfService Plus' offline MFA, organizations meet the authentication and security requirements of these regulations while empowering their end users to securely work from anywhere.
Offline MFA is available in the latest edition of
ADSelfService Plus as part of the Endpoint MFA add-on for its Standard and Professional editions. Pricing for the Endpoint MFA add-on of ADSelfService Plus starts at $395 annually for 500 users. Pricing for the Standard and Professional editions starts at $595 and $1,195, respectively. ADSelfService Plus also offers a free edition for up to 50 users.
Edited by
Alex Passett
