BT begins major security token rollout

BT has said that it expects to slash user authentication costs through one of the world's largest rollouts of security authentication tokens.

The telco has taken delivery of over 25,000 ActivCard authentication devices for use with the ActivCard AAA Server to provide mobile employees with secure access to corporate networks.

When the rollout is fully completed it is expected to involve up to 65,000 BT employees, making it one of the largest global deployments of two-factor authentication tokens in the world.

By deploying the tokens, BT expects to reduce remote user authentication costs for its multi-channel secure remote access system.

Ashok Patel, strategy manager for internet and distributed technology at BT, said: "This will provide our users with greater functionality and ease of use while allowing BT Exact to leverage BT's directory and Radius infrastructure, thus making significant cost savings on user account management."

As a long-time user of token-based network authentication, BT was looking to redesign its authentication systems to reduce the administrative time in managing tens of thousands of distributed token users while maintaining its security policy.

The new architecture brings together the ActivCard AAA directory, and BT's Radius infrastructure. For authentication, the majority of BT's mobile workforce will use ActivCard keychain tokens.