A new PINpad interface has been added to the list of Swivel deployment options providing an alternative to the TURing image widely used  to control user access to lower risk, Web applications.

Based on a familiar keypad format the PINpad image enables the user to generate the session OTC by simply clicking the virtual keys that correspond with their registered PIN. As the order of the key numbering changes each time it appears and the PIN is never entered into a real keyboard, the system is immune to keyloggers and screen capture spyware.

The latest version of the Swivel Mobile client for the Google Android OS has been released and is available for download on Android Market. Unlike previous releases the new Android client includes a new security feature which means that the user does not need to enter their PIN on the device keypad.

Now users are presented with their next security string from which to extract their one-time-code when they need to log on. The change has been made in response to the increased threat of malware that targets mobile devices. With this change users can be confident that their PIN is not vulnerable to interception during the login process.

The list of Swivel mobile apps has been extended to include the latest Microsoft Phone 7 platform and is now available for free download from the Microsoft Marketplace. Following this release Swivel is now available for all the major mobile platforms including the iPhone, Google Android and Blackberry devices.

The Swivel smartphone apps are one of a range of deployment options included as standard in the Swivel authentication platform, which also includes SMS, IVR and Web image options.These can be configured for individuals and groups of users subject to application risk assessment and corporate security policies.

More great recognition for the Swivel authentication platform – we have been short-listed in the Best Remote Access category at this year’s SC Awards. With an almost perfect score in the SC Product Group review and with some great remarks in the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant we are looking forward to the award ceremony on 24th April. More information

30^th January 2012, Wetherby, UK, Swivel Secure, the UK’s specialist authentication vendor has been positioned in the 2012 Gartner User Authentication Magic Quadrant as offering the broadest range of deployment options of any vendor discussed in the report.

The Gartner Magic Quadrant is an objective, in-depth review of all the leading user authentication vendors in terms of product features, functionality and market penetration based on vendor submissions, extensive market research and direct customer interviews. The annual report is used widely by major enterprises and large public sector organisations as a reference tool for identifying the right technologies for their own IT security requirements.

Gartner is one of the world’s foremost and widely respected technology analyst companies. The User Authentication MQ was authored by Ant Allen who is Gartner’s research Vice President focussed on Identity and Access Management solutions with over 28 years of industry experience.

Swivel Secure is a UK company established in 2000 that has pioneered the concept of token-less, two factor authentication. The company’s flagship authentication platform and patented PINsafe OTP protocol is used by leading global enterprises, public sector organisations and SMBs as an integral part of their corporate remote network access management systems, using a range of existing user devices to confirm user identity.

Chris Russell Swivel’s Vice President of Engineering commented “Being included in the Gartner Magic Quadrant is recognition of Swivel’s maturity and importance in the overall user authentication sector. Being singled out as offering the broadest range of deployment options amongst all the other vendors is highly significant for us. We designed Swivel to meet the full range of user and security requirements of large scale organisations so it is great to hear that this approach has been recognised in this hugely influential industry report.What is also gratifying is the recognition of the quality of support we give to our customers and partners.”

The full list of Swivel’s strengths identified in the report include:

• Swivel offers the broadest range of delivery options of any provider discussed in this Magic Quadrant. PINsafe is available as a hardware or software appliance, server software, a managed service with customer premises equipment, and a multi-tenanted cloud-based service.
• Swivel was among the lowest-cost options for Scenarios 3, 4 and 5. (Healthcare, Utilities and Financial Services) Notably, it offers zero-cost mobile clients (equivalent to OTP software tokens) for mobile phones.
• Reference customers typically cited Swivel’s pricing model or TCO as an important decision factor. They were very satisfied with the vendor’s customer support, and noted that it always dealt with support requests fully and promptly.
• Swivel is one of the few vendors in this Magic Quadrant to offer an enhanced password method, which is popular with many SMBs that are looking for an improvement over legacy password authentication but do not want or cannot justify “two-factor authentication.” In addition, Swivel uses the same enhanced password method with its phone-based authentication methods, providing additional assurance compared with competing solutions that rely on a legacy password or a simple PIN.

25 January, 2012 – Wetherby, UK – Swivel Secure, the specialist corporate network authentication vendor has added York-based Phoenix Software to its growing list of accredited partners. Phoenix is a leading supplier of B2B software, specialising in volume licensing and compliance for the large enterprise and public sector organisations.

The appointment of Phoenix comes after a record year for Swivel which has seen the company’s pioneering tokenless authentication platform become adopted by a series of global enterprises and leading brand names, taking the number of worldwide users to over a million, spread across 34 countries.

“The current economic downturn, combined with the loss of trust in token-based solutions following last year’s high profile hack attack at RSA, has led many large organisations to look for a cheaper, more secure and flexible alternative,” commented Sarah McNicol, Swivel’s UK Channel Director. “As a result we are seeing a massive increase in the number of customers who want licenses for 10,000 users or more. Phoenix’s track record in supporting large scale software deployments is a perfect fit for us as we continue to grow our leadership in the volume-market sectors.”

Swivel has begun 2012 with the unveiling of a new brand identity, which includes a simplified Web site and new business collateral designed to ensure that potential end-users fully understand the depth and complexity of the Swivel platform and that partners have all the sales support tools they need. Based around the strapline “The power of knowing”, Swivel is looking to expand its UK and global channel network and is aggressively targeting strategic partners to help extend the company’s reach into the enterprise and public sectors.

Phoenix Software Director, Sam Mudd commented, “Swivel is an established and mature technology with an impressive user base including leading names in our key target markets. Network and Cloud security is top of the agenda for many corporate IT managers, and the addition of Swivel provides an extra dimension into our product portfolio that meets the growing demand for a scalable and flexible authentication solution.”

To help kick-start the new relationship Swivel has been included on the agenda for Phoenix’s seminar series “The anatomy of an attack” which is being held at venues in London, York and Edinburgh during February and March, see Phoenix’s Web site for details.

Ever wondered what a hack attack actually looks like? We have teamed up with Pheonix Software, Evolve North and security vendor Sophos to give you the chance to watch a malware attack from both the hacker and the end-user perspective and, more importantly, learn how you can protect your organisation from becoming a victim.

This exclusive seminar will cover a range of mission critical topics including securing Web applications, preventing data theft and understanding the potential vulnerabilities associated with the latest mobile devices. There is a choice of three dates and venues starting with London on 24th February, York on the 3rd of March or Edinburgh on 6th March. For more information or to reserve your place click here.

We are delighted to welcome br-secure, the specialist Brazilian security VAD to our rapidly growing family of international channel partners. They have an excellent reputation for bringing world-leading security products to the Brazilian market and are predicting significant new business for the Swivel authentication platform from within their reseller network.

Brazil is one of the world’s fastest growing economies with major investment going into the IT infrastructure and having br-secure as our partner provides us with a great platform to expolit the security requirement of the country’s leading businesses and public sector organisations.

This year’s SC Magazine (US) multifactor authentication product group test has awarded PINsafe an almost perfect 4.75 out of 5 stars based on a range of criteria including feature set, ease of use, performance, and value for money. With only a slight question mark over the pricing model knocking us into second place out of 11 (this is something we are aware of and are addressing in the next release) this is a fantastic endorsement for the technology and confirms our place as leaders in the tokenless authentication space. Check it out here

At Swivel we have spent the last decade inventing new ways to make authentication more accessible, more secure and more rewarding for our clients. We’ve been so focused on this objective that we have not had time to stop and look at our brand; what we say and what we stand for.

So we decided to put things right and are delighted to unveil our new look with the launch of a brand new Web site and logo. As a key element of the refreshed brand identity we have also tried to encapsulate the essence of what Swivel is all about in a succinct new strapline – The power of knowing.

Swivel isn’t just a world-class authentication technology, it provides organisations with the confidence of knowing who is accessing their most confidential data, knowing that the users’ login credentials are protected from hackers, knowing that users can securely access their corporate desk-top from anywhere and anytime, using a range of existing devices, and knowing that they are using the same technology trusted by some of the world’s largest organisations.

However, while the look and feel may have changed Swivel remains the same passionate organisation focused on ensuring that customers are front and centre of everything we do. It is just that now we feel that the brand truly reflects the maturity and breadth of knowledge that is the driving force behind the whole organisation.