Centrify debuts DirectControl for Mac OS X
updated 12:50 pm EST, Mon February 5, 2007
DirectControl for Mac OS X
Centrify today debuted DirectControl for Mac OS X, a SmartCard Login Option that enables Mac users to join Microsoft Active Directory environments that require two-factor authentication via smart cards. The solution supports the Department of Defense Common Access Cards (CAC) standard, used throughout the DoD and related agencies to authenticate both military personnel and contractors to systems. The Centrify DirectControl for Mac OS X SmartCard Login Option enables users to log in to any DirectControl-enabled system without requiring any special user configuration on the local system, because all authentication and access control data is stored in Microsoft Active Directory. Centrify DirectControl for Mac OS X is priced at $60 per workstation, and the SmartCard Login Option is available for $30 per workstation. The solutions are slated for release in March.
Administrators can use Active Directory to centrally control which users may or may not log in to which Macs. Additionally, Centrify DirectControl's Zones capability allows custom grouping of systems for delegated administration and fine-grained control of access, according to the company. DirectControl runs natively on Intel-based Macs as a Universal Binary, and supports both online as well as offline login with smart cards.
