Case Study: Leading Financial Services Provider achieves stronger authentication and reduced breach risk with IBM Security (IBM Multi‑Factor Authentication for z/OS)

Leading Financial Services Provider Building a stronger line of defense against security threats with multi-factor authentication

Leading Financial Services Provider, a global institutional investment firm, was concerned that relying on passwords left its IBM Z environment vulnerable to costly breaches and insider risks. The firm wanted to extend two-factor authentication used elsewhere (including RSA SecurID tokens) to its core banking systems, so it engaged IBM Security and implemented IBM Multi-Factor Authentication for z/OS to strengthen access controls.

IBM Security integrated IBM MFA with the firm’s existing RACF environment to require layered authentication (passwords, tokens, biometrics or OOBA) configurable per user, while preserving investment in RSA SecurID and enabling a move to software tokens. The deployment simplified authentication management, reduced the risk of unauthorized access and regulatory exposure, freed IT teams for strategic work, and strengthened the organization’s overall security posture.