Annual awards honor the best in U.S. cybersecurity, confirming BIO-key as a leader in the identity and access management space

WALL, N.J., March 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIO-key International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI), an innovative provider of identity and access management (IAM) solutions powered by biometrics, today announced its PortalGuard IDaaS has been recognized as one of five finalists for 2021 SC Media's�Trust Award in the Best Authentication Technology category. The Trust Award finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges who assessed products delivering enhanced security for end-users or devices by managing credentials for access to an authenticator or authentication server.

PortalGuard streamlines secure connections between people and the cloud applications they use to get things done. PortalGuard IDaaS is a comprehensive SaaS-based IAM platform that delivers seamless multi-directory integration, federated IDP for single sign-on, adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), plus self-service password reset for enterprise workforces, supply chain partners and customers. PortalGuard supports over 15 authentication methods that let customers consolidate multiple authentication solutions and secure access for users connecting from anywhere using any device. One of those factors is BIO-key biometrics, which strongly authenticates roving users without phones or hardware tokens for industries like retail, call centers, manufacturing, and healthcare, or where unauthorized account sharing and social engineering remains undeterred by mainstream MFA.

For over 20 years, PortalGuard has been trusted by customers across multiple industries, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and government. PortalGuard IDaaS has experienced rapid growth from new and existing customers looking to improve their security posture and migrate their IAM strategy to the cloud.

"We are delighted to be recognized by SC Media for PortalGuard�s unique differentiators,� said Michael DePasqaule, BIO-key Chairman and CEO. �The steady stream of breaches reported in the press demonstrates that one-size-fits-all authentication approaches are failing to protect even well-prepared enterprises. Our mission at BIO-key is to provide cost-effective products delivering identity security and a superior user experience for every authentication scenario. PortalGuard IDaaS offers more authentication methods, more single sign-on protocols, and more directory integrations than any other solution on the market."

"While the world will remember 2020 as the year of the pandemic and working from home, other threats did not diminish. In fact, phishing and ransomware experienced a banner year. BIO-key's PortalGuard IDaaS and the other finalists for Trust Awards provided to companies the tools and services needed to respond to the unrelenting threat landscape, even as security teams scrambled to adapt internal security policies,� said Jill Aitoro, editor in chief of SC Media and editorial director at CyberRisk Alliance.

Now in its 24^th year, SC Awards is recognized as the industry gold standard of accomplishment for cybersecurity organizations, products and people. With the awards, SC Media recognizes the achievements of cybersecurity professionals in the field, the innovations happening in the vendor and service provider communities, and the vigilant work of government, commercial and nonprofit entities. Vendors and service providers who offer a product and/or service for the commercial, government, educational, nonprofit or other industries are eligible for the SC Awards� Trust Award category. Winners will be announced by SC Media on May 3, 2021. To learn more about BIO-key and the PortalGuard IDaaS platform, please visit BIO-key�s website.

About SC Media
SC Media is the essential resource for cybersecurity professionals, keeping them up to date on vital developments and focusing on their most important concerns. Whether practitioners or leaders, technologists or executives, people who care about cybersecurity turn to SC Media, every day and throughout the day, to stay informed and gain insight into the complex issues that matter in their strategic and technology decision-making. As CyberRisk Alliance�s gateway resource, SC Media taps into an authoritative community of thinkers and innovators to provide a full range of relevant and useful content, including exclusive market research and data, opinion and perspective, independent product reviews, compelling in-person and virtual learning, and much more.

About CyberRisk Alliance
CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) was formed to help cybersecurity professionals face the challenges that threaten the success and prosperity of their organizations. We provide business intelligence and information services to help our growing community build effective strategies and make smart decisions, and innovative marketing solutions to galvanize an efficient marketplace. Most of all, we work to engage the entire cyber community and lift the success of all industry professionals.

About BIO-key International, Inc.
BIO-key has over two decades of expertise in providing authentication technology for thousands of organizations and millions of users and is revolutionizing authentication with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) solutions. Its PortalGuard IAM solution, that provides convenient and secure access to devices, information, applications, and high-value transactions. BIO-key's patented software and hardware solutions, with industry-leading biometric capabilities, enable large-scale on-premise and Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) solutions as well as customized enterprise and cloud solutions.

BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement
All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). The words "estimate," "project," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our history of losses and limited revenue; our ability to raise additional capital; our ability to protect our intellectual property; changes in business conditions; changes in our sales strategy and product development plans; changes in the marketplace; continued services of our executive management team; security breaches; competition in the biometric technology industry; market acceptance of biometric products generally and our products under development; our ability to execute and deliver on contracts in Africa; our ability to expand into Asia, Africa and other foreign markets; the duration and severity of the current coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our business operations, sales cycles, 3 personnel, and the geographic markets in which we operate; delays in the development of products and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing as well as other factors set forth under the caption see "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additionally, there may be other factors of which the Company is not currently aware that may affect matters discussed in forward-looking statements and may also cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. In particular, the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak to economic conditions and the industry in general and the financial position and operating results of our Company, in particular, have been material, are changing rapidly, and cannot be predicted.

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Media Contact:
Erin Knapp
Matter Communications
[email protected]
914-260-3158

Awards Information:
Wendy Loew, SVP, Events
[email protected]