(EN)About SOLUTIONS : Zero Trust - ICA

What is PNPSECURE ICA (Implicit Continuous Authentication)?

PNPSECURE ICA is a Zero Trust–aligned authentication technology that continuously verifies a user’s identity using facial vector information. Unlike passwords or OTPs, ICA authenticates the user simply by recognizing the face in front of the screen, without requiring any manual input. This enables seamless, tamper-resistant continuous authentication across all work processes.

Why is Zero Trust security becoming essential?

Modern IT environments—including cloud, hybrid cloud, and multi-cloud—introduce new and sophisticated threats. The Zero Trust model assumes no implicit trust for any entity inside or outside the network. Every access attempt requires identity verification. As environments diversify, continuous authentication becomes essential to eliminate security blind spots.

How does continuous authentication relate to Zero Trust?

Zero Trust requires identity verification not only at login but continuously during task execution. Korea’s Zero Trust Guidelines 2.0 explicitly specify “continuous identity verification beyond access approval.” ICA fulfills this requirement by validating identity at each action step, preventing account takeover, session hijacking, and insider threats.

How does ICA authenticate users?

ICA uses tamper-proof facial vector information. Users simply look at the screen; ICA detects and verifies identity in real time. No passwords, OTPs, or manual actions are required. Continuous authentication occurs quietly in the background without disrupting workflow.

What makes ICA more secure than traditional authentication?

ICA eliminates vulnerabilities such as password theft, OTP sharing, device loss, and session hijacking. Because ICA continuously confirms identity, even if a session is compromised mid-operation, unauthorized actors are instantly denied access.

How does ICA compare to primary and secondary authentication?

• Primary authentication (ID/PW): Low accuracy, high vulnerability, no continuous verification.
• Secondary authentication (OTP/SMS): Medium security, inconvenient, still lacks continuous verification.
• ICA: High authentication accuracy, biometric-based, continuously verifies all access attempts, fully aligned with Zero Trust.

How does ICA detect insider threats or abnormal activity?

ICA re-authenticates at critical action points—such as accessing sensitive data, executing commands, or opening protected resources. Any mismatch in identity results in an immediate block, preventing credential misuse or impersonation by internal users.

Does ICA impact user convenience?

No. ICA operates silently in the background. Because the user's face itself becomes the authentication token, users can work continuously without interruptions—achieving both maximum security and maximum convenience.

How does ICA support Zero Trust implementation?

ICA provides:

• Continuous identity verification
• Real-time authentication
• Session-level protection
• Resistance to spoofing, photo/print/video attacks
• Automatic policy enforcement per resource

This makes ICA an optimal method for Zero Trust maturity compliance.

What problems does ICA solve that traditional authentication cannot?

ICA prevents:

• Stolen credentials
• Session hijacking
• Shoulder surfing
• Insider misuse
• Unauthorized session continuation after the user leaves the workstation

Only ICA provides identity-bound continuous security guarantees.