Digital Arts Consulting begins to offer advisory service aimed at the implementation and usage of FIDO authentication solutions.
Cost reduction and improved convenience in user recognition are some of the benefits of offering an advisory service to aid the implementation and usage of DDS's FIDO authentication solutions, which already have a strong track record in biometric authentication.

IT strategy consulting and security consulting firm Digital Arts Consulting Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. CEO: Tadao Matsumoto, hereinafter referred to "Digital Arts Consulting") has begun offering an advisory service focused on the implementation and usage of FIDO1, an authentication solution aimed at financial institutions.
In addition, a sales contract has been agreed for FIDO Authentication Solution (Magatama Service, Anywhere ID Verification) with DDS Inc. (Headquarters: Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan; CEO: Noriyoshi Kubo; hereinafter referred to "DDS"), a company which offers various kinds of authentication solutions including fingerprint authentication, as the authentication solution that forms core of this service.

Until now, user authentication for various online services has mainly been with an ID and password combination, but this can hardly be considered effective against security threats such as identity theft and fraudulent logins. In response to this, many companies are considering implementing multi-factor authentication including biometric authentication. Biometric authentication as a low risk towards threats such as falsification or interception, however on the other hand, user recognition is still in the process of development. Additionally, in order to improve authentication accuracy, several issues have arisen; the cost increases, and the methods are device specific, preventing companies from adopting on a wider scale.

Amidst this situation, FIDO Authentication is gathering attention as a replacement for existing password-based authentication technology from companies including financial institutions such as major banks, as well as communications carriers. These companies are implementing the process at a rapid pace due to the many benefits; compatible with biometric authentication and strong against identity theft, password-less and strong against authentication information leaks, and an open specification that is not device-specific. With this trend in mind, Digital Arts Consulting is seeking to offer FIDO Authentication to many companies' -starting from financial institutions- internet-based services in order to boost their user experience and strengthen their user authentication processes. Also realizing that this can have the important secondary effect of reducing administrative costs, Digital Arts Consulting is offering an "Advisory Service for Implementation and Usage of the FIDO Authentication Solution."

Advisory service features

1. All-in-one consulting support
Offering a single point of contact for all consulting services, from the planning phase to the implementation and development phase. In the planning phase, offered services include assistance with concept realization, managing the Fit&Gap with customers' IT environment, work process design, and user experience design, all of which make it possible to implement solutions ustom-tailored to each customer' s business and IT environment.

2. Optimized platform for authentication
A solid platform for authentication is created by implementing FIDO Authentication Solution, which is compatible with biometric authentication, with the optimal structure for each customer's business and IT environment, one that puts together a secure system highly resistant to identity theft and other such threats.

3. Creation of secondary effects (cost reduction) through solution application and use
Higher-precision and simplified user identification is realized thanks to precise user experience planning. Additionally, an operation model is built which would lead to reduced costs from secondary tasks needed to identify the user.

On top of this, Digital Arts Consulting has formed a contract with DDS Inc. to act as a sales agent for the FIDO Authentication Solution (Magatama Service, Anywhere ID Verification), as the core of this service, which they develop and offer and has already achieved considerable results in the field of biometric authentication.
Digital Arts Consulting is the first Japan-based company to join the FIDO Alliance, and through the actions as an active member they have garnered solid technology behind their FIDO Authentication solutions. Going forward, Digital Arts Consulting plans to offer an advisory service that makes use of FIDO Authentication solutions as a platform.

Endorsement

Regarding this contract to act as a sales agent, DDS has given the following endorsement.

DDS Inc. CEO Noriyoshi Kubo

I am very pleased that we will be able to offer the FIDO-based user authentication solutions "Magatama Service" and "Anywhere ID Verification" in collaboration with Digital Arts Consulting Inc. Our company has considerable experience with FIDO, and we have the knowledge and skills necessary to make use of this cutting-edge technology in a way that gives customers peace of mind. We hope that Digital Arts Consulting can put our experience to good use to provide customers with trust and peace of mind, to make it an overall satisfying experience for all involved.
With user authentication, which bridges the gap between the digital and physical worlds, we hope to contribute to bringing Japan closer to its stated goal of "Society 5.0" in the future.

Digital Arts Consulting, by offering this advisory service, plans to strengthen security within companies' systems, an area that is increasing in importance, and through the use of ICT we aim to assist in creating the ideal management environment.

• *1 FIDO stands for "Fast IDentity Online," and refers to fast online authentication. The FIDO Alliance - a non-profit standards organization established in 2012 - is promoting this as an open authentication standard to advance the standardization of new online authentication technology.