Utility Lets Google Apps for Ed Handle Authentication

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 03/10/14

A company that creates products for managing devices in a bring-your-own-device environment has developed a network access control utility that allows an external login through Google Apps for Education to be used for authentication of each device and user.

Milton Security Group's new Cloud Authentication Security uses OAuth, a protocol that lets developers make their services available through an API without forcing users to reveal their passwords or other credentials. When users log in via the Google Apps for Ed Authenticator, Milton's Edge7200i security appliance and ICEGuard series accept that login since it has been approved by Google. Once the login is accepted, the security appliance queries for the user's rights related to network access.

In a prepared statement, the company said this was the first "in a series of planned authentication methods." Next up, other cloud-based services including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

"Many schools are working with a very limited budget these days," said Milton CEO James McMurry. "Google Apps for Education is incredibly popular because it's free and has a lot of great resources." By using it for authentication purposes, he noted, "schools can cut down on their network security costs."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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