TypingDNA ActiveLock

Overview

TypingDNA combines biometric authentication with behavioral analysis to bring you ActiveLock - a zero trust solution to protect your devices from unauthorized users. ActiveLock marks a departure from “periodic authentication” (this is when authentication happens via logging in) and introduces “continuous authentication” (where the solution is constantly verifying that you are the correct user). This innovative solution uses zero trust principles, to continually monitor and verify user identity through biometric analysis of how you type.

This solution continually monitors the typing pattern on a particular desktop or laptop – over time it will build up an understanding of a users’ micro-traits. If a different user attempts to use the computer, ActiveLock will detect the unauthorized user, and lock the device. The user will need to log in to the computer to regain access.

Features

Continuous Endpoint Authentication

Through continually monitoring from the background, ActiveLock offers an effective zero trust solution, without adversely impacting on the user experience. The more you use the solution, the more accurate it will become. This allows for frictionless use by the end user. The product is fast to react when an unrecognized user is detected.

Privacy Friendly

Some users may be, understandably, wary that by monitoring their typing, ActiveLock will log and record what they are typing. This would put your sensitive data at risk of being accessed via any vulnerabilities in TypingDNA. However, this is not how the solution works. ActiveLock analyzes how a user types, not what they type.

The only data that TypingDNA analyzes is related to the speed, intonation, and frequency of keys pressed. It requires some information regarding the range of the keyboard used to inform this analysis – specific keystroke data is not, however, retained. ActiveLock is a secure solution that ensures only the verified user can use a certain device.

Reporting Capabilities

ActiveLock can be integrated with your existing SIEM or security dashboard (through Datadog, for example). This allows organizations to monitor ActiveLock incidents, whilst retaining the ability to lock a computer in response. Data gained from this monitoring can inform future security decisions and indicate the cause for these breaches.

Accurate Authentication

The longer you use ActiveLock for, the more accurate it becomes. This is because it is able to build up more data about your typing patterns and behavior through its AI-backed algorithm. TypingDNA’s algorithm is accurate and effective at identifying the user, without producing a frustrating number of false negatives. In most cases, the solution will lock fraudulent users out within 200 characters – that’s just over the length of one tweet.

Threat Remediation Via Account Lock Outs

The solution can be configured to one of three restriction policies - balanced, more secure, and less restrictive. This allows you to decide how ActiveLock reacts to identifying an unauthorized user. You can ensure that the balance between security and workflow is appropriate for your organization.

If a user is locked out, the default settings will require them to log in again to verify their identity. This is a quick and easy method that users will be used to interacting with.

ActiveLock can also be configured to require admin authorization before being able to regain access. This is, necessarily, a more time- and effort-intensive solution, but allows more oversight where data or computer access is particularly sensitive.

Ease Of Use

ActiveLock is easy to install, and quick to start providing accurate typing authentication.

For the first day or two after ActiveLock is installed, it will be operational in “training” mode. The software will monitor your typing to build a comprehensive picture of your behavior, and your typing traits. This accounts for approximately 2,000 words. The solution will then switch automatically to protect your computer.

The solution is easy to deploy as it works in the background, with very little need to interact with the user. Should you need to configure anything, such as security level, you can configure your settings from your desktop toolbar. From here, you can also reset the solution to “training” mode, should you have a small hand injury. This will change the way you type, and therefore not recognize you.

The solution is continually learning and revising its understanding of user typing behavior. This ensures that the chance of being locked out by a false positive is reduced.

Pricing and Plans

TypingDNA offer two pricing options for ActiveLock - a free and a commercial version.

Free Plan

The free version offers the ability to lock the computer screen or alert the admin in instances when a new user is recognized. The solution will store usage and authentication logs, as well as giving you the ability to manually reset the systems’ training settings. This plan gives your organization an opportunity for testing ActiveLock, and for non-commercial use.

Commercial Plan

On top of the lock screen, alerts, logs and training settings offered in the free version, the commercial plan offers more in-depth reporting and customizable features. Logs can be aggregated, training can be set to one of three modes – balanced, more secure, and less restrictive. This ensures you can find the right level of ease of use, and security.

Contact TypingDNA to receive a quote for the commercial plan.

Final Verdict

ActiveLock is an innovative and important security feature. Like a car airbag, you don’t notice it’s there, until you need it. Rather than having to resolve the consequences of an unauthorized user gaining access to one of your devices, ActiveLock can prevent the problem from ever occurring.

This product offers a unique and accurate way of continiously monitoring your device to ensure that only the authorized individual uses it. We would recommend this solution for organizations of all sizes, across all industries, looking to keep their devices secured.