Regis Corporation, the world’s largest operator of hair salons, finds an easier, more cost effective solution to PCI DSS requirements for two-factor authentication.

The Business Challenge:

With more than 12,000 locations worldwide, remote access security across the Regis network is no small job. Two-factor authentication for remote access was critical to meet Regis’ own rigorous security policies, but was also a requirement to maintain compliance with industry regulations such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). They had previously used RSA tokens and neither the employees nor the IT staff was happy with that solution. They needed a solution that was easier for everyone, and that also met the PCI standards.

The Solution:

Before choosing PhoneFactor, Regis had struggled with the difficulty of using tokens and other two-factor methods. Their non-technical users found these solutions challenging and the IT department was spending far too much time supporting them. Regis wanted a turnkey solution for remote access that would be easy for their non-technical users to manage and minimize back-end support needs. It was also critical that Regis fill the gaps in their PCI DSS compliance. One of those was section 8.3 requiring two-factor authentication. PhoneFactor’s quick and easy implementation made checking off this requirement painless for Regis.

Using PhoneFactor has already affected the way business operates at Regis. In fact, Regis noted numerous benefits by switching to PhoneFactor’s two-factor solution:

• Decreased Deployment Timeframe: Deploying to a remote audience can be challenging. Regis rolled out PhoneFactor quickly, first as a pilot and then through their normal ongoing cycle of hardware and software updates.
• Increased User Response/Adoption: Regis users found PhoneFactor to be much more convenient than fob-based tokens. It was so easy that they trained their staff via memo only.
• Ongoing Reduced Costs: With PhoneFactor, there is virtually no maintenance for the IT staff at Regis, significantly reducing their total cost of ownership.
• Increased Security: Regis recognizes the absolute need for two-factor. In addition, PhoneFactor’s instant fraud alerts provide much needed additional protection. This feature is even recognized in Regis’ official incident response plan.
• Easy Expansion: PhoneFactor makes roll-out to additional users simple. And Regis plans to evaluate PhoneFactor for additional uses within their organization.

“It’s no-hassle security, and has reduced the complaints to the Help Desk about access issues. It has worked just as we hoped and was an easy transition.”
- Joel Wiens, Vice President of Information Technology, Regis Corporation