Alliance for Digital Sovereignty: Protect Entra ID with Swissbit and ADN
Grow Your Microsoft Business: More Than 720,000 Organizations Use Entra ID
Digital sovereignty starts with the sign-in. The Alliance for Digital Sovereignty of Swissbit and the value-added distributor ADN helps IT partners in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) sell phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) in the Microsoft environment. Hardware security made in Germany strengthens your customers’ digital sovereignty.
The market for identity and access management (IAM) in the DACH region reaches a volume of USD 1.85 to 2.23 billion and grows by an average of 8 to 13% a year. That is a sales opportunity on your doorstep: the DACH region accounts for 24% of the global market volume. Supported by clear European quality and compliance requirements, companies here invest above average in sustainable IT security. For you as a partner, this is the basis for reliable and predictable revenue growth.
The FIDO segment (Fast Identity Online) in German-speaking countries is worth USD 60 to 80 million and grows at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%, faster than the global average. Drivers for MFA, besides the compliance requirements above, are conditional access, AI, identity theft, the NIS2 Directive (EU directive on network and information security) and the security standards of the BSI (German Federal Office for Information Security).
We support you as a partner, together with ADN, in implementing modern IAM and MFA. Your Microsoft Entra ID customers get a secure, legally compliant and future-proof IT infrastructure.
Your Potential Market Share in the Microsoft Ecosystem
SMS Code, OTP App and FIDO2 Security Key Compared
How an AiTM attack works is explained in our article AiTM attacks: How attackers bypass MFA and how to stop them.
| Method | How the sign-in is confirmed | Phishing-resistant | Protects against AiTM attacks |
|---|---|---|---|
SMS code | One-time code sent by text message, typed in by the user | no | no |
OTP app | Time-based one-time code from an app, typed in by the user | no | no |
FIDO2 security key such as the iShield Key 2 | Cryptographic signature that is only valid for the registered domain | yes | yes |
In Germany, the NIS2 implementation act has applied since December 6, 2025. More in the article EU Regulation NIS2: Don’t Get Caught Off Guard!. The article Passkeys for enterprises: Benefits, risks and rollout explains the role passkeys play in the enterprise.
As a leading European manufacturer, Swissbit works with the value-added distributor ADN to address these market opportunities. Through the joint Alliance for Digital Sovereignty, you get central access to expertise from Swissbit and ADN. In the DACH region, the Alliance is the first point of contact for compliant security solutions that are sustainable in the long term and highly profitable.
Resilience in a crisis is our advantage over global competitors: We develop and produce hardware security “Made in Germany.” Added to this are security solutions “Made in Europe” that match your customers’ needs, and consulting from ADN, which supports you from strategic planning to technical implementation. That makes you a trusted partner for CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) in regulated markets.
At the same time, you move away from the unprofitable price war over thin cloud margins by turning phishing-resistant authentication into customer projects, new service offerings and managed services.
“Phishing-resistant authentication is becoming increasingly important in security projects,” says Kai Kirschner, Business Development Manager IT Security and Networking at ADN. “With the iShield Key 2, we are adding a hardware-based FIDO2 solution to our portfolio that is suitable for use with compatible Microsoft and Entra ID services.”
iShield Key 2: Cross-Selling Add-On for Every Entra ID License
The Swissbit iShield Key 2 is a hardware add-on that you can offer by default with every Microsoft 365 and Entra ID license.
Full native integration into the Microsoft Entra ID environment for end-to-end, phishing-resistant FIDO2 authentication. Microsoft includes the iShield Key 2 in the list of FIDO2 security keys eligible for attestation with Microsoft Entra ID.
With USB-A, USB-C, NFC (near-field communication) and FIPS, MIFARE, HID and LEGIC compatibility, a single key covers every conceivable IT infrastructure. FIPS is the US standard for cryptographic modules.
The article Physical and logical access control in one security key describes how to combine building access and sign-in.
Use the Alliance to Grow Your Revenue
Use the momentum in the Microsoft channel and your customers’ current NIS2 topics to shorten your sales cycle.
Talk to customers before budget planning: Get ready-to-sell marketing assets, the NIS2 white paper and the technical integration guides for Microsoft Entra ID.
Start a proof of concept (PoC): Support your key accounts from the start. Together with the ADN team, we support you from strategic consulting through the test phase in the customer’s infrastructure to deployment.
Video: Managing the iShield Key 2 with Cisco Secure Client and Entra ID
The video (6:44 minutes, English) from Swissbit shows how to manage the iShield Key 2 with Cisco Secure Client and Entra ID.
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Blog Articles on Phishing-Resistant Authentication
In my new article, I examine Adversary-in-the-Middle (AitM) attacks and compares this novel approach to traditional Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. The article shows how multi-factor authentication (MFA) can be bypassed as a core feature, but there is an effective way to prevent this: FIDO2
Physical and logical access control often run on separate systems: one badge for the door, another method for the login. In this post, I explain why it pays off to look at both together. First, I will explain the difference, and then I will discuss the advantages of such a combined solution for companies. Finally, I present the solution that Swissbit offers.
In his new blog post for the “authentication 101” series, Travis Dunn takes a closer look at the development of FIDO Passkeys. Microsoft, Google and Apple are pushing the topic of passwordless authentication on the consumer side but is it realistic that passkeys will soon be used in companies? In his conclusion, Travis recommends another existing alternative: hardware authentication.
Alliance for Digital Sovereignty: Frequently Asked Questions
This alliance is your strategic partnership for uncompromising identity security in the DACH region. The initiative was launched by hardware manufacturer Swissbit and the value-added distributor ADN. The strategic alliance secures your digital independence and data sovereignty with the highest level of expertise. Partners benefit from ready-to-sell marketing assets, a white paper on NIS2, technical integration guides for Microsoft Entra ID and support for proof-of-concept projects.
In an AiTM (adversary-in-the-middle) attack, a proxy relays the password and one-time code to the real service in real time and then captures the session token. SMS codes and OTP apps do not protect against this. FIDO2 security keys sign only for the real domain and are therefore phishing-resistant.
Yes. Microsoft lists the iShield Key 2 among the FIDO2 security keys eligible for attestation with Microsoft Entra ID. The key is certified by the FIDO Alliance and supports FIDO2/WebAuthn. The video on this page shows how to manage the iShield Key 2 with Entra ID.
The iShield Key 2 is available with USB-A or USB-C, each with NFC. For access control systems, options with MIFARE DESFire EV3, HID SEOS and LEGIC are available, as well as a variant with FIPS 140-3 Level 3 for higher security requirements.
Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2) lists multi-factor authentication or continuous authentication solutions in Article 21(2)(j) as a cybersecurity risk-management measure. In Germany, the implementation act has applied since December 6, 2025. Phishing-resistant methods such as FIDO2 additionally protect against AiTM attacks.
Request the sales kit or book a consultation with ADN. The ADN team supports you from the first consultation through the test phase at the customer’s site to deployment. If you would rather try the key yourself first, you can request free iShield Key 2 samples.
Sources
Microsoft: Microsoft Entra ID (product page, “more than 720,000 organizations”)
Microsoft Learn: Deploy phishing-resistant passwordless authentication in Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Entra ID attestation for passkey (FIDO2) vendors
Heuking: NIS2-Umsetzungsgesetz in Kraft (article in German, December 5, 2025)
Last updated: October 2026