MxWeb enables iOS devices to be authenticated by WebLogon
What is MxWeb for iOS for?
We offer a web authentication product, WebLogon, based on
Matrix security USB key. WebLogon enables an authentication server on the Web to authenticate a USB security key connected on the client side. WebLogon uses a program that runs on the client side and accesses USB security keys as a broker between the local resource and the Web. This program is called "client program".
The USB security key cannot connect with iOS devices( the key can be physically connected but the library for manipulating the key via API cannot be made available for iOS ) and, as it was, WebLogon did not work with iOS devices. We decided to use iOS devices as user tokens in place of USB security keys. On one hand, PC is a fixture to which users come along with USB key and through which USB keys as user tokens are authenticated. On the other, an iOS device may be seen as a mobile key always with its owner; it is more like a USB key but with a big screen, memory and processing power. It is more valuable and may act as a user token better than a USB key. So comes MxWeb for iOS, the iOS version of WebLogon client program that mediates between iOS device resources and the Web.
How it works
The way WebLogon authenticates iOS devices is nearly the same as for USB security keys. WebLogon authentication server can authenticate both USB keys and iOS devices. The web sites that use WebLogon for authentication can accept either USB keys or iOS devices as authentication devices to restrict access only from the registered keys and devices.
For all practical purpuses, the implementaion details of WebLogon serveris irrelevant to WebLogon users, since the server works as a black box; a login page calls the authentication server and, when successfully authenticated, the server forwards users to the authentication success page. The page can treat both USB keys and iOS devices in the same manner.The existing success page may be used for the authenticated iOS devices with minimal modifications.
You need PC to register USB security keys with an authentication server. The iOS device registration is simpler; you use MxWeb for iOS to registers the device on which it is running, just by one click.
This is not to say that anyone can register their device with an authentication server and start using it. True, anyone can register but, in most cases, the site operator has to authorize the registered devices for use with the site. Our demo server has been set up so that it does not require this authorization of the registered devices; all the registered devices are immediately ready for use with the demo site. WebLogon is flexible enough to accommodate various authentication schemes.
