Initial release of SplitCert supports password-less, certificate-based access to popular databases Postgres and MongoDB. Credit: Gerd Altmann BastionZero has announced the release of SplitCert to provide password-free authentication access to databases. It uses Mutual TLS (mTLS) and cryptographic multi-party computation (MPC) to provide certificate-based authentication for popular, self-hosted Postgres and MongoDB databases, according to the vendor. Other new BastionZero platform features include passwordless access support for GCP cloud SQL and AWS RDS via a new desktop app, along with password-free support for Microsoft Windows servers with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), BastionZero said.Passwords can be a major security headache for businesses, with weak and reused passwords often rife among employees who struggle to maintain and remember unique logins across vast numbers of accounts. Passwords are a principal weakness involved in 81% of all hacking breaches, while inherent useability problems make passwords difficult for users to manage safely.SplitCert generates mTLS certificates from two “shards” stored in two locationsSplitCert generates one-time mTLS client certificates from two key “shards” that are stored in two independent locations, BastionZero said in a press release. Cryptographic MPC is then used to generate one-time mTLS client certificates from the two independently stored shards, it added. By storing the shards in independent locations, SplitCert eliminates the single point of compromise associated with the storage and maintenance of database passwords. It is invisible to end users and supports database access via popular existing database clients and workflows, BastionZero said.“With SplitCert, we’ve leveraged modern cryptographic techniques to ensure that our customers don’t need to trust anyone with their database credentials, not even us,” commented Sharon Goldberg, PhD, CEO and co-founder, BastionZero. In addition to the SplitCert release, BastionZero’s new desktop app creates a simple point-and-click path for users to access Windows, Linux, database, and Kubernetes targets, the firm said. The release includes a feature that supports locking down Windows infrastructure access with RDP, it added.Support for password-less authentication continues to growSupport for password-less authentication and access has been growing in recent years as organizations and the technology sector seek more secure, reliable sign-in alternatives that help limit the risks of password reliance. Passkeys are a kind of passwordless authentication seeing increasing focus and adoption, with Google now rolling out support for passkeys across Google Accounts on all major platforms. Last month, the FIDO Alliance released new user experience guidelines to help accelerate the deployment and adoption of passkeys. Related content news Gitlab fixes bug that exploited internal policies to trigger hostile pipelines It was possible for an attacker to run pipelines as an arbitrary user via scheduled security scan policies. By Shweta Sharma Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Vulnerabilities Security feature Key findings from the CISA 2022 Top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities report CISA’s recommendations for vendors, developers, and end-users promote a more secure software ecosystem. By Chris Hughes Sep 21, 2023 8 mins Zero Trust Threat and Vulnerability Management Security Practices news Insider risks are getting increasingly costly The cost of cybersecurity threats caused by organization insiders rose over the course of 2023, according to a new report from the Ponemon Institute and DTEX Systems. By Jon Gold Sep 20, 2023 3 mins Budget Data and Information Security news US cyber insurance claims spike amid ransomware, funds transfer fraud, BEC attacks Cyber insurance claims frequency increased by 12% in the first half of 2023 while claims severity increased by 42% with an average loss amount of more than $115,000. By Michael Hill Sep 20, 2023 3 mins Insurance Industry Risk Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe