RSA, the security-first identity leader, announced at the Gartner IAM Summit major advances in passwordless that help enterprise secure desktop logon, expand coverage for highly-regulated industries, and embed passwordless into customized web experiences.
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“Unlike niche competitors who focus on individual use cases, RSA delivers the broadest range of passwordless coverage—from cloud to desktop to datacenter—that provides organizations with a unified passwordless experience,” said RSA CEO Greg Nelson.
“Unlike niche competitors who focus on individual use cases, RSA delivers the broadest range of passwordless coverage—from cloud to desktop to datacenter—that provides organizations with a unified passwordless experience. This comprehensive approach not only reduces security gaps but also simplifies management and compliance,” said RSA CEO Greg Nelson.
With these enhancements, RSA continues to demonstrate its leadership in making secure passwordless available for every user, in every environment, every time:
RSA secures desktop logon with passwordless
As remote and hybrid work have dramatically increased the exposure of sensitive assets outside traditional firewalls, securing desktop and laptop access is a critical necessity—one that has long been overlooked by the security industry.
“Desktop devices represent a significant risk given how many users work remotely,” said RSA President, Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jim Taylor. “Passwords fall short everywhere, and desktop logon is no exception. Yet most organizations are forced into using them because the industry has failed to deliver robust, user-friendly solutions. RSA’s new passwordless capabilities close this gap, going deeper than any competitor to provide secure, seamless access everywhere our customers need it.”
With this latest suite of passwordless enhancements, and following RSA’s return to the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Access Management for the second consecutive year, RSA is setting a new standard for protecting desktops and laptops, ensuring organizations can defend against evolving threats with greater confidence:
- Contactless tap and go logon using the RSA iShield Key 2 series: Users can now authenticate with a simple tap of their NFC-enabled iShield Key, removing the need to physically insert tokens—helping users in healthcare and other industries that prioritize speed and user experience.
- Additional options for offline passwordless logon: RSA has introduced additional options for offline passwordless logon, including OTP and FIDO2, and will support offline QR codes beginning January 2026 to ensure that users remain secure and productive even without network connectivity.
- Increased authentication assurance with optional proximity verification: Beginning in January 2026, RSA will support Bluetooth-based proximity checks for QR code logins, confirming that the authenticating device and the computer are in the same location.
- Passwordless logon now supported for macOS: Organizations can deploy a unified passwordless experience across macOS Windows.
These enhancements are available in RSA® ID Plus, the market’s only complete identity and access management security platform, and RSA ID Plus for Microsoft M1, which provides an enhanced security layer for Microsoft Entra ID. Both solutions provide passwordless across Microsoft, legacy, OT, and non-Microsoft environments, bringing modern MFA and passwordless to data centers, mainframes, macOS, AD-joined devices, Entra-joined PCs and servers (including older OS versions), as well as other web servers and critical infrastructure that Entra alone can’t reach.
RSA Product Manager Kenn Chong will detail how organizations can phishing-resistant passwordless and secure the credential lifecycle beyond authentication during a live Gartner IAM session on Monday, December 8, at 11:45 AM CST.
Passwordless solutions for high-assurance industries
RSA can provide government agencies, healthcare, energy, and other highly regulated industries with high-assurance passwordless solutions that secure digital and physical access and adapt to new threats with field updatable firmware. The RSA iShield Key 2:
- Meets MIFARE standards for physical access
- Mitigates against zero-day threats with updatable firmware
- Complies with FIPS 140-3, Executive Order (EO) 14028, OMB M-22-09, and M-24-14 requirements
Passwordless for partners and external users
Enhancements to the RSA API now enable secure passwordless authentication for custom portals, allowing organizations to embed passkey registration and promote usage in a custom web experience.
Identity Security Posture Management
RSA will also highlight new Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM) capabilities that proactively uncover identity risks before they escalate. These AI-driven insights give organizations a clear understanding of their security posture and help teams take decisive action across complex environments.
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