HID DigitalPersona (formerly Crossmatch) provides a comprehensive multi-factor authentication solution. The vendor’s value proposition is that their solution frees users from cumbersome login activities while making it easy for an IT Team to secure access to their networks, data and applications.
$3.75
per user per month
Symantec VIP
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Symantec Validation and ID Protection Service (VIP) is presented as a
user-friendly, cloud-based strong authentication
service that enables enterprises to secure access to networks
and applications without impacting productivity. Also included with VIP Enterprise two-factor authentication is Symantec VIP Access Manager, a single access point to protect cloud and on-premise web apps via Single Sign-On (SSO).
During the onboarding process, remote workers can enroll their fingerprints or create secure PINs. This eliminates the need for complicated passwords and enables them to safely access company resources and critical apps from remote locations. HID DigitalPersona's robust authentication techniques and access control features can assist you in adhering to data security laws.
Symantec VIP is well suited for enterprise institutions, like our own, managing a wide range of devices and wanting to provide their users with an extra layer of security. Being able to have 2-factor authentication with a unique pin was key for us and this would be well suited for any organization that holds sensitive information like, in our case, student records. They have great support and getting issues resolved does not take much time, a quick call to support usually straightens issues out.
Multiple domains - DigitalPersona struggles with multiple domains. Since the solution is licensed per domain, migrating users between domains can be troublesome to keep licensed. Additionally, migrating to a new domain removes the AD leaf objects that store all digital persona information, essentially wiping out and credentials or other stored information.
Password change - DigitalPersona can be confusing to update when a stored password for a website is updated. The password is entered, and then the user is redirected to the websites password change page. Users must then authenticate with a Digital persona credential again before being prompted by Digital Persona to update the password. If the user is allowed to change the password manually through the websites page, this will lead to what is stored in Digital Persona being out of sync with the new password, and eventually account lockouts.
Terminal Server - DigitalPersona has performance issues when utilized on a high-traffic terminal server. Often it causes big CPU spikes as well as hanging sessions upon disconnect.
Reliability on the app. Most users dislike having the authentication app on their cell phone because if they don't have their cellular device on-hand then they're unable to authenticate.
Perhaps a bio-metric enhancement in the near future would take this application to the next level.
It is wonderful for multifactor authentication and gives us many options for what we use to authenticate. All of our users use it and it is engrained into our group policies and people would be very disappointed if it went away.
I think there are still fundamental enhancements needed to be added to the management consoles and I think there ought to be a Centralized, Windows Based "Thick" Management Application instead of individual utilities which vary from MMCs, Scripts, Wizards, etc.
Extremely poor; I've never encountered such. Professional Services completely dropped us for months. Crossmatch tech support seems like it has 3 techs tops! No response to emails, calls, the absolute worst! I will never recommend DP to anyone.
Could use tools to audit license usage at a more granular level as to allow an administrator to free up licenses from users whom seldom use their biometrics to login.
We evaluated Cisco DUO but ultimately chose HID because of their support for biometrics. With DUO every user would have to have the authentication app on their personal phone and pull it out each time they had to log in. We definitely did not want this for our frontline staff as it would slow the process way down
Duo is good but Symantec VIP really takes the cake. Both Symantec VIP and Duo Security are used as a two factor application but Symantec VIP also allows you to use physical tokens. Some of our users prefer those over their phones and we can easily leverage Symantec VIP for that.
Provides a quick one finger authentication\log-on.
Logging onto a machine that is used by several other users, such as in retail is no problem because the DigitalPersona software does a switch user function instead of logging out the other user.
One negative that was apparent immediately after installing the DigitalPersona software was that users very easily forgot their Windows passwords because of the one finger log-on.
