Swiss Red Cross: Hardware Token becomes SMS-Token

Around 750 users log on daily by two-factor authentication on 24 terminal servers.

Foto: icrc/Flickr/Lizenz: CC BY-SA 2.0

The Swiss Red Cross is an aid organization, which is characterized by the principles of their actions, their experience, the breadth of its activity and integration into a worldwide movement.

The national office is located in Bern and Wabern. The SRC consists of 24 cantonal associations. 13 of them purchase services of SRK ICT Services as ASP (Application Service Providing) customers. SRK ICT Services operates two redundant data centers with a total of around 170 servers.

The existing hardware token solution for two-factor authentication has reached its life cycle. Licenses, hardware and maintenance costs have proven to be very costly. Moreover, they wanted to introduce a solution that does not require an additional device that employees must carry with them. A mobile phone makes sense as a security token, because it will be carried with almost all the time.

The mobile phone has a further advantage: the emotional connection to the mobile phone and the constant accessibility promotes self-discipline in dealing with the possession factor. A loss is detected quickly and the mobile phone does not remain in the workplace like hardware tokens often do.

Experience / Results

Benno Stucki, CIO of SRK ICT Services: «We have calculated that we can save around 30% of annual costs over the previous token solution with the SMS solution from Swiss SafeLab.»

What do you like about the new situation?

Answer: The SMS Login is a simple and secure solution that gives the user better possibilities than a mere token solution with additional hardware. The SMS solution is expandable for further applications such as alerting. It is a secure, stable solution that can be expanded when needed.

How has the company benefited from the solution?

Answer: Cost reduction calculations were met. Also the simpler handling of a forgotten cellphone instead of a forgotten hardware token reduces the expense for the service desk.

How do you assess the financial gains due to reduced cost and effort?

Answer: The Swiss SafeLab solution requires less human resources, simplifies business processes and saves in the infrastructure.

Were there other benefits?

Implementation

The SMS Login for the Swiss Red Cross has been realized by the company Swiss SafeLab. For fast and reliable delivery of SMS code, the company Swiss SafeLab relies on the ASPSMS system.