Certificate-Based Network Authentication

Network Access With a Real Paper Trail

Most network access logs tell you a credential was used. SecureW2 uses cryptographic security to tie connections to a verified identity, a compliant device, and an enforced policy. Your logs finally tell you something worth reading.

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SecureW2

Network Access RecordUnknown

User••••••••••DeviceUnknown devicePolicy—

DeviceUnknownThreatsUnknownCertificateUnknown

SecureW2

Network Access RecordVerified

UserJordan RiveraDeviceMacBook-JR-042PolicyEngineering · VLAN 1

DeviceCompliantThreatsNoneCertificateValid

Rishabh Jain

Enterprise Network Services

SecureW2’s Cloud PKI and RADIUS services have significantly reduced the time and effort required to maintain our on-premises PKI solution. The platform’s highly available and geo-redundant infrastructure, combined with zero-touch provisioning and certificate auto-renewal via API integrations, has proven to be extremely valuable.

12,000+ devices secured

5+ years Trusted SecureW2 since 2021

The PSK Problem

Your Network Password
Has No Idea Who's Using It

Shared passwords create network access, but they don't create accountability. When a PSK is
compromised, there's no way to know who used it, from where, or for how long.

Of identity attacks are password-based

0 %

Source: Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025

Avg attacker breakout time after access

0 min

Source: CrowdStrike Global Threat Report 2025

Avg time to detect a credential breach

0 days

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025

	Shared Password	Certificate-Based
Provisioning	Shared manually via email, Slack, or IT ticket	Deployed automatically through your existing MDM
Who's connecting	Confirms someone has the password. Not who.	Pulls from your identity provider to verify the person, not just the device
Device health	No device check at connection	Uses your MDM to confirm the device is enrolled and compliant before granting access
Access level	Same access for every device that has the password	Determined automatically by user role and device status
What gets logged	Confirms a connection was made. Nothing more.	Who connected, from what device, under what policy
When access needs to stop	Change the password for everyone, or don't	One device removed in seconds. Everyone else stays connected.

How It Works

Every Connection, Verified Before It Touches Your Network

Every certificate carries three things: who the user is, what device they're on, and whether that device is currently compliant. Your policy engine reads all three before access is granted.

User / Device

Device presents its certificate automatically.

Certificate Inspected

Three signals verified in parallel

Policy Engine

Identity and device health determine your access tier.

Access Granted

Network segmentation policy enforced.

Operational Impact

Faster Rollouts, Fewer Tickets, Stronger Access Control

Teams use SecureW2 to cut support work, accelerate onboarding, and tighten access control across every device on the network.

$300

Saved per employee/year

Customer-reported savings

20%

Fewer support tickets

Customer-reported reduction

70%

Less cost vs on-premise

Compared to legacy RADIUS

10M+

Devices secured

Across global deployments

Featured Use Cases

What Certificate Auth Looks Like in Practice

Shared passwords leave gaps at every step: enrollment, authentication, and offboarding. Here's what closing them looks like when your existing tools are doing the work.

The Scenario

A device connects. SecureW2 checks the certificate, validates identity and device health against your existing tools, and places it in the right segment, in under a second.

STEP 1

Device Requests Access

A device attempts to connect to Wi-Fi or a wired port. The request is passed to SecureW2 Cloud RADIUS with no password prompt.

STEP 2

Certificate Validated

SecureW2 checks the certificate against its issuing CA. Expired, revoked, or unknown certificates are rejected on the spot.

STEP 3

Identity & Device Checked

SecureW2 queries your IdP to confirm the user is active and your MDM to confirm the device is enrolled and compliant.

STEP 4

Access Granted & Logged

The device lands in the right VLAN based on role and posture. User, device, policy, and timestamp are written to the audit log.

STEP 1

Device Enrolls in MDM

A new device is enrolled in Jamf, Intune, or Kandji. SecureW2 receives the enrollment signal automatically, with no IT ticket.

STEP 2

Identity Confirmed

SecureW2 queries your IdP to verify the user's identity, group membership, and access entitlements before anything is issued.

STEP 3

Certificate Deployed

A unique certificate is issued and installed silently through MDM. BYOD devices follow a guided self-service enrollment flow instead.

STEP 4

Ready to Connect

The device connects using its certificate. Access stays active as long as the device remains compliant, with no IT involvement.

See It In Action

Why Certificates Beat Passwords on Your Network

A few minutes on why the credential you are using today is the one most likely to get you breached.

Why a stolen certificate cannot be reused the way a stolen password can
How certificates verify identity and device health in a single connection
What your network access policy looks like when passwords are not part of it

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SecureW2

Certificate Authority at the Center of Your Security Ecosystem

200+ Integrations

Identity & Access Policy Enablement & SSO

+ Many More

Device Management MDM/EMM & Cert Gateway

+ Many More

Network Security SASE & ZTNA

+ Many More

Wireless Security 802.1X Wi-Fi Enterprise

+ Many More

Threat Intelligence EDR/XDR & SIEM Platforms

+ Many More

AI & Agentic Security MCP & Orchestration

+ Many More

Certificates For Any Access Surface

If It's Accessible, It's Securable

Discover how our comprehensive identity and access management solutions can secure your organization across different use cases and environments.

/ NETWORK AUTH

/ AGENTIC AI & MACHINE ID

/ SSO & WEB APPS

/ ZTNA/VPN

/ DESKTOP LOGIN

/ GUEST WI-FI

SecureW2 / NETWORK AUTH

Modernize Auth for Wired and Wireless Networks

Fast, reliable 802.1X and Cloud RADIUS authentication for Wi-Fi and wired access—powered by real-time policy evaluation and passwordless certificate-based access that adapts to identity, posture and risk.

Lower IT Overhead

Reduce help desk tickets by 20% with automated enrollment
and renewal

Automate Onboarding

Provision certificates silently via your existing MDM

Control Device Access

Clear visibility into every access event for effortless
compliance

INTEGRATIONS

View All

Explore NETWORK AUTH Schedule a demo

SecureW2 / AGENTIC AI & MACHINE ID

Identify & Control all Agentic AI Access

Mutual TLS certificates eliminate the risk of API key compromise in agentic AI deployments, binding agents to verified device identities. Works alongside SPIRE servers to issue short-lived SVIDs that scope exactly what each agent can reach across your MCP-connected data sources.

Strengthen AI System Access

Replace shared tokens with certificates that verify the
user/device before access.

Stop Credential Theft

Certificates can't be phished or reused the way stolen
passwords can.

Enforce Data Boundaries

Automatically scope each AI agent to only the data its
role allows.

INTEGRATIONS

View All

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SecureW2 / SSO & WEB APPS

Device Trust for SSO and Applications

Dynamically issue x.509 certificates through policies that authorize scoped access based on role, risk and device context. Enforce least-privilege access to SaaS and internal apps from trusted devices only.

Verified Device Access

Only managed, healthy devices reach your SaaS apps

Reduce Authentication Fatigue

Frictionless login that eliminates recurring prompts and
resets

Phishing-Resistant SSO

Certificates that can't be phished or socially engineered

INTEGRATIONS

View All

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SecureW2 / ZTNA/VPN

Enforce Least-Privilege Access for Remote Workers

Enable secure distributed access with certificate-based ZTNA and VPN integrations. Dynamic policy decisions authorize access based on real-time signals from your existing security stack.

Enforce Device Trust

Enforce granular, policy-driven access for every remote
session

Strengthen Posture Assessment

Close the gap left by SASE tools that ignore device
compliance

Instant Threat Revocation

Auto-kick compromised devices the second a risk signal is
detected

INTEGRATIONS

View All

Explore ZTNA/VPN Schedule a demo

SecureW2 / DESKTOP LOGIN

Passwordless Desktop Authentication

Enforce certificate-backed login with YubiKeys, smart cards and other hardware tokens. Dynamic certificate management supports PIN and PUK functionality and automates enrollment, renewal and slot assignment.

Prevent Local Data Breaches

Block attackers from exploiting weak local credentials to
access sensitive data

Secure Lost or Stolen Hardware

Revoke device login certificates the moment a device is
reported missing

Fast Multi-User Access

Secure, rapid user switching on shared devices via smart
cards

INTEGRATIONS

View All

Explore DESKTOP LOGIN Schedule a demo

SecureW2 / GUEST WI-FI

Deliver Guest Wi-Fi with Role Limits and Expiration

Provision guest access with minute-level control. Supported methods include sponsor approval and self-registration through Captive Portal, plus directory integration with LDAP, Google, PowerSchool and SAML.

Auto-Expiring Access

Custom durations that revoke automatically—no manual
cleanup

Simple Guest Access

Guests connect via SMS or social login, eliminating
repetitive IT setup

Operational Efficiency

Reduce IT workload by delegating guest approvals to
employee sponsors

INTEGRATIONS

View All

Explore GUEST WI-FI Schedule a demo

How does certificate-based authentication work with 802.1X?

Certificate-based 802.1X authentication uses digital certificates instead of passwords. When a device connects to your network, it presents its certificate to prove identity. The network validates this certificate with your Certificate Authority, ensuring only trusted devices with valid certificates can access network resources.

What happens to devices that lose compliance after getting certificates?

Our Dynamic PKI continuously monitors device health through integration with your MDM/UEM and security tools. When a device becomes non-compliant, its certificate is automatically revoked, immediately blocking network access. The device must restore compliance before receiving a new certificate.

How do you handle the complexity of certificate management across different operating systems?

Our MultiOS platform abstracts away OS-specific certificate handling. It automatically configures the right certificate store, wireless profiles, and trust relationships for each platform (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux) without requiring different processes for each OS.

Can this work with our existing RADIUS infrastructure?

Yes, our Cloud RADIUS can either replace your existing RADIUS servers or work alongside them. We support gradual migration paths and can integrate with your current network access policies while providing enhanced certificate validation and real-time enforcement capabilities.

What about guest and contractor access?

Guest and contractor devices receive temporary certificates with built-in expiration dates and limited network access. These certificates can be automatically provisioned through self-service portals and are tied to sponsor approval workflows, with automatic cleanup when access periods end.

How does this scale across multiple sites and thousands of devices?

The JoinNow Platform is cloud-native and designed for enterprise scale. Certificate issuance, policy enforcement, and compliance monitoring all happen automatically. You can manage thousands of devices across hundreds of sites from a single console, with automated reporting and alerting.

What's the impact on network performance?

Certificate authentication adds minimal overhead compared to password-based methods. Initial certificate issuance happens during device onboarding, and subsequent connections are fast since certificates are cached locally. Network access decisions are made locally by your access points and switches.

How do you ensure certificates can't be stolen and reused?

Certificates are bound to specific devices using hardware security features when available (TPM, Secure Enclave). Additionally, our system validates device health and user context at connection time, so even if a certificate were compromised, the associated device would need to pass compliance checks to gain access.

Built for Networks Like Yours

Let's Ship Cert-Based Auth Together

You bring the network requirements and edge cases. We'll bring the implementation playbook and migration strategy. Together, we'll map out exactly how to move from PSKs to certificates, deploy dynamic enforcement, and scale across your entire infrastructure without any forklift.

Schedule a demo Check our prices

Explore Use Cases

Network Access With a Real Paper Trail

Built on trust from teams who can’t afford downtime.

The Standard for Certificate-Based Security

Your Network PasswordHas No Idea Who's Using It

Every Connection, Verified Before It Touches Your Network

User / Device

Certificate Inspected

Policy Engine

Access Granted

Faster Rollouts, Fewer Tickets, Stronger Access Control

$300

20%

70%

10M+

What Certificate Auth Looks Like in Practice

Device Requests Access

Certificate Validated

Identity & Device Checked

Access Granted & Logged

Device Enrolls in MDM

Identity Confirmed

Certificate Deployed

Ready to Connect

Why Certificates Beat Passwords on Your Network

Built to Work with Your Stack

SecureW2

If It's Accessible, It's Securable

Modernize Auth for Wired and Wireless Networks

Lower IT Overhead

Automate Onboarding

Control Device Access

Identify & Control all Agentic AI Access

Strengthen AI System Access

Stop Credential Theft

Enforce Data Boundaries

Device Trust for SSO and Applications

Verified Device Access

Reduce Authentication Fatigue

Phishing-Resistant SSO

Enforce Least-Privilege Access for Remote Workers

Enforce Device Trust

Strengthen Posture Assessment

Instant Threat Revocation

Passwordless Desktop Authentication

Prevent Local Data Breaches

Secure Lost or Stolen Hardware

Fast Multi-User Access

Deliver Guest Wi-Fi with Role Limits and Expiration

Auto-Expiring Access

Simple Guest Access

Operational Efficiency

Frequently Asked Questions

How does certificate-based authentication work with 802.1X?

What happens to devices that lose compliance after getting certificates?

How do you handle the complexity of certificate management across different operating systems?

Can this work with our existing RADIUS infrastructure?

What about guest and contractor access?

How does this scale across multiple sites and thousands of devices?

What's the impact on network performance?

How do you ensure certificates can't be stolen and reused?

Let's Ship Cert-Based Auth Together

Your Network Password
Has No Idea Who's Using It