Carers ACT launches YubiKeys to secure sensitive health info

Carers ACT, a major non-profit support provider for unpaid family and friend carers in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), has taken significant steps to protect sensitive health information by deploying YubiKeys to its support workers. YubiKeys will replace cumbersome passwords and more complex forms of multi-factor authentication (MFA), including SMS codes, to ensure a secure, user-friendly experience.

Carers ACT has been in operation for over 30 years, offering a variety of services to family and friend carers, such as care planning advice, counselling, peer support, educational workshops, and advocacy. With four locations and 65 full-time employees, as well as additional support workers in short-term respite facilities and a disability services program, the organisation requires timely access to sensitive health information to provide safe and effective care.

Thomas Pike, the ICT Innovation Lead at Carers ACT, expressed concerns over account compromise, stating, "Account compromise is hugely worrying for us. We hold some of the most sensitive personal information you can and take our responsibility to protect that information very seriously." Pike emphasised the necessity of protecting health information to deliver adequate services, adding, "As an organisation, and especially as an ICT department, we are very aware that we require health information to provide a safe and effective service. We spend a lot of time ensuring our systems are responsive to those particular threats."

The organisation decided to implement FIDO-based YubiKeys to secure its support workers' new Microsoft Surface Go tablets. Thanks to technical support information and guides provided by Yubico, the integration of YubiKeys was swift and straightforward. Pike commented on the process, stating, "I cannot say enough about the ease of implementation. We were able to implement the YubiKeys within just a couple of days. The YubiKey has simplified the login process for our staff, allowing them to continue to focus on providing quality care."

Karyn Ferraris, Chief Operating Officer at Carers ACT, highlighted the benefits of the new authentication method. "The fact that all of our support workers will be using strong MFA-based authentication was a real plus for us in selecting YubiKeys," Ferraris said, indicating the organisational commitment to security and efficiency.

Geoff Schomburgk, Asia Pacific Vice President at Yubico, also expressed his satisfaction with the partnership. "We are thrilled that Carers ACT has selected YubiKeys to make the login process for its support workers simple, secure and phishing-resistant," Schomburgk stated, signalling the company's enthusiasm in assisting Carers ACT in safeguarding sensitive information.