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As blockchain technology gains momentum, ShoCard enters the enterprise market.
Palo Alto-based identity management firm ShoCard has secured $4m in funding, which will aid the roll-out of its enterprise solution, ShoBadge.
The new offering aims to eliminate the need for usernames and passwords within a business, instead using a blockchain-based digital identity verification and authentication process.
ShoCard originally made its mark on the consumer identity side, with clients – including banks, airlines and companies – requiring user logins and passwords for apps. It aims to use the newly acquired funding to offer efficiency and security in the working environment.
‘Without usernames and passwords, identity management and security is much more simple and cost-effective’
– TAE HEA NAHM
CEO and founder Armin Ebrahami said: “Eliminating usernames and passwords at the enterprise level will close the security gap in organisations’ cyber defences. Large databases filled with this sensitive information will no longer be necessary, and weak passwords, easily exploited by hackers, will no longer exist.”
Ebrahami added that ShoBadge would use the same technology as ShoCard in terms of verification, enrolment and authentication tools, and described blockchain technology as “the next generation of identity management, offering CIOs and CISOs a consolidated approach and more secure identity management for their enterprise”.
Blockchain beyond cryptocurrency
Using blockchain technology means that identity management is controlled by the user and shared by the workplace. After employees choose to share their information with their employer, blockchain acts as a ledger to verify the information and ultimately grant access to authorised employees.
This investment round was led by Morado and AME Cloud Ventures, along with Storm Ventures, Danhua Capital and Correlation Ventures, among others.
Tae Hea Nahm, managing director at Storm Ventures, said: “Without usernames and passwords, identity management and security is much more simple and cost-effective.”
The hope is that ShoBadge will be used to secure entire business ecosystems, with the ability to include contractors, business partners and even customers. This implementation of blockchain is part of a trend that goes beyond merely bitcoin and cryptocurrency, into the realm of cybersecurity.
