RSA buys PassMark Security for online authentication

ID and access management firm RSA security buys two-factor expert PassMark Security

Identity and access management specialist RSA Security has acquired two-factor authentication specialist PassMark Security for $44.7m.

PassMark offers a number of authentication tools, including site-to-user authentication systems using visual images to ensure mutual authentication.

RSA's Chris Young said the acquisition would enable it to provide tools to protect end-users and merchants in all aspects of e-commerce and particularly online banking, where PassMark has many customers, including the Alliance & Leicester bank.

"On the web you need more than passwords [to complete safe transactions] and at the same time it must be simple and easy for the customer to use," said Bill Harris, chairman of PassMark. "We're building a comprehensive integrated platform, which will become fundamental in [the e-commerce market] in the next two years."