Imprivata’s OneSign is being used to provide authentication and single sign-on for the Trust’s 11,000 clinical and administrative staff, with the aim of improving productivity and removing password management issues.
OneSign will also integrate with the Trust’s building access systems, allowing it to create and enforce a single security policy for both IT network and physical access.
As part of a substantial construction and modernisation project, the Trust is implementing new building access control and physical security systems from Honeywell at its three sites across the city. Working with partner BMS, Imprivata OneSign was selected for its ability to implement an identity management system that links to the physical network and enforces security policy across the Trust’s computing assets.
Consolidation
“The Trust was looking to consolidate its physical and network security systems and reduce its management overhead,” said Michael Mythen, acting deputy head of IM&T, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “Before Imprivata, each user would have carried around up to three separate smart cards in order to gain access to IT and building resources. In turn, this meant our helpdesk was also having to deal with large numbers of password reset requests: about 55 percent of all calls through were password-related.
“Using OneSign, staff will only have to use one card for all their access needs with only one associated password.”
Following a pilot phase in January and February 2008, the Trust is beginning its roll-out with a new application for the Maternity department in March 2008, covering 350 users. “We expect to reduce the volume of password reset requests by around 90 per cent, as well as improving staff productivity levels. This project is proving to be popular so far with both the IT help-desk team and the general user population,” said Mythen.
Single solution
A single card is used, with both chip and pin and proximity functionality, so that once users are authenticated, they will automatically be granted access to the applications they are allowed to use. Further groups of employees will join this system, with the whole user population to be enrolled by the end of 2008.
Imprivata OneSign is fully integrated with both the National Health Service smart card and the Trust’s planned physical access solution from Honeywell. By linking these systems together, the Trust can create and apply one single policy across all its access points, whether these are physical entrances or endpoints on the IT network.
“Creating and enforcing a single security policy across all the Trust’s assets means that management is simpler and auditing of access is much easier,” said Imprivata CEO Omar Hussain. “This implementation is a good demonstration of the value that Imprivata can deliver to organisations in the UK health sector.”
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