Imagine the surprise when, as an occasional gym visitor, you return to your fitness center one day, eager to resume your workouts, only to find that the familiar wristband is no longer the key to access. Picture yourself in my shoes, standing at the gym entrance, accustomed to swiftly scanning my wristband for access. It was a simple process; I never gave it a second thought. However, on this particular day, I was met with a digital prompt requesting my fingerprint for entry. It was a seamless transition, and I couldn't help but marvel at the gym's commitment to security, even though wristband sharing among members had been relatively rare.
The gym has adopted security best practices, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) through biometric fingerprint recognition. This remarkable shift in security protocols not only caught me off guard but also got me thinking about a broader issue – the protection of our mainframe data, an asset far more valuable than any gym membership. While MFA is now common in many aspects of our digital lives, why do we still rely on password-based security, the equivalent of that now-defunct gym wristband, for our mainframes? Why do our most sensitive data remain secured by an outdated and single-factor authentication method?
This article explores the importance of MFA in the mainframe environment and how Advanced Authentication Mainframe (AAM) by Broadcom is revolutionizing this critical aspect of cybersecurity.
AAM provides two different approaches, the traditional “In-Band” and the enterprise MFA – “Out-of-Band”
MFA is a cybersecurity protocol that enhances security by requiring users to provide two or more authentication factors before gaining access to a system or application.
The three categories of authentication are:
By combining at least two of these factors, MFA provides a much higher level of security than simply using a password alone. This is especially helpful in guarding against phishing attacks, keyloggers, and other types of threats that might compromise a single form of authentication.
Consider the example of the gym mentioned above, which recently upgraded its security measures. While the gym's previous access system relied solely on wristbands that members used to check in, they have now introduced biometric MFA in the form of fingerprint scanning. This change was driven by a desire to minimize the risk of fraud and unauthorized access, even though the incidence of members sharing wristbands was relatively low.
Now, let's shift our focus to the world of mainframes, where organizations store and process their most sensitive and critical data. Surprisingly, mainframes often rely only on the digital equivalent of a password to safeguard access. Despite being the backbone of many enterprises, this lacks the advanced security measures that we've come to expect in other areas of our digital lives.
This is where AAM by Broadcom steps in. AAM is designed to strengthen mainframe security by implementing modern MFA protocols. Here's how AAM can benefit the mainframe environment:
As our gym adopts MFA with biometrics to safeguard something as simple as gym access, it raises important questions about why mainframes, the repositories of our most critical data, often rely on passwords alone. AAM by Broadcom offers a solution to this dilemma, bringing the much-needed security of MFA to the mainframe environment. By implementing AAM, organizations can fortify their mainframes, ensuring that their most valuable assets remain well-protected in an increasingly digital world.
It's clear that for mainframes to remain secure and effective in today's digital landscape, the adoption of tools like Broadcom's AAM is more than a recommendation–it's a necessity.