Continuous authentication that nobody notices.
Sign-in proves who walked in. Continuous authentication keeps checking that they're still there. NearAuth.ai does it with something every employee already carries: their own phone, next to their own computer, checked by our server all day. There's nothing to type, nothing to approve, and nothing to profile.
What is continuous authentication?
Most sign-in, MFA included, is a single check at the door. Once it passes, the session is trusted until it times out, often for hours or days. Continuous authentication keeps checking during the session, so trust ends when the reason for it ends.
The gap it closes
A computer left unlocked at a desk, a laptop opened by someone else at home, a session kept alive long after its owner left. One check at sign-in can't see any of these.Why it matters now
Attackers increasingly skip the front door: they talk their way past the sign-in, or use a session that's already open. What happens after sign-in is where much of today's risk is.Ways to do continuous authentication
| Short timeouts and re-prompts | Behavioral biometrics | NearAuth.ai presence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it checks | Asks the person to sign in or approve again | Profiles how the person types and moves the mouse | Checks that their own phone is next to their own computer |
| Prompts during the day | Many | None, until it's unsure | None at the desk |
| Notices when the person walks away | Only at the next timeout | Only once someone else starts typing | Yes, when the phone leaves |
| Collects personal behavior data | No | Yes, typing and mouse patterns | No |
| False alarms | Few, but constant interruptions | Can drift with injury, stress or a new keyboard | Bluetooth must be on; phone left at home means asking for approval |
Behavioral biometrics can catch a different person at a keyboard that's already unlocked, which presence alone can't. We chose presence because it needs no profile of anyone, and we add a few targeted checks, below, for the cases presence doesn't cover.
How NearAuth.ai does it
Pair once
Each employee installs the NearAuth.ai app on their phone and computer and pairs them. Each device's key is kept in its secure hardware, and every request it makes is signed.Checked all day
Over an encrypted Bluetooth link, the two devices keep proving to our server that they're together. Google, Microsoft and your other apps let the person in with no prompt.Walk away, access ends
When the phone leaves, NearAuth.ai stops vouching for that computer. Come back with the phone and access returns, again with no prompt.Checks that go beyond proximity
- Locked screen or sleep. A computer that's locked or asleep isn't treated as in use.
- Someone else on the screen. On Windows, NearAuth.ai notices another user's account or a Remote Desktop session, and your company decides whether to log it, ask for phone approval or block.
- Unusual sign-in locations. If a computer's location jumps somewhere impossible, such as Boston and then Berlin ten minutes later, or comes through Tor, the owner approves on their phone before it keeps working. Your office and VPN networks are never flagged.
- A record you can trust. Every check is logged with the computer and the second it happened, so you can answer who was signed in, and when.
Works with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, and SAML and OpenID Connect apps, on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows. See how it compares with MFA, or how it checks that a remote hire is really at the laptop.
Honest limits
NearAuth.ai needs its app on each employee's phone and computer, with Bluetooth on. Presence shows that the employee's phone is beside their computer, not who is typing; that's why we add the checks above. And if someone is talked into signing in at their own desk with their own phone, no second factor can tell that apart from them doing it on purpose.
Privacy by design
No passwords, keystrokes, screenshots, GPS tracking or biometric data. Locations come from the computer's IP address only. Fingerprint and face checks stay on the phone. See exactly what we collect and our security page.
Frequently asked questions
What is continuous authentication?
Continuous authentication keeps checking that the right person is at the device for the whole session, not only at sign-in. Traditional sign-in, MFA included, checks once and then trusts the session until it times out, even if the person has walked away.
How is continuous authentication different from MFA?
MFA adds a second check at sign-in, usually a code or a push approval. Continuous authentication is about what happens after sign-in. NearAuth.ai does both without prompts: the employee's own phone being next to their own computer is the second factor, and it keeps being checked all day.
Is continuous authentication the same as behavioral biometrics?
No. Behavioral biometrics is one way to do it, by profiling how a person types or moves the mouse. NearAuth.ai doesn't do that. It checks that the employee's registered phone is physically next to their computer, which needs no profile of the person and records no keystrokes.
Does continuous authentication track employees?
NearAuth.ai learns whether an employee's phone is near their computer, and the computer's public IP address. It never collects keystrokes, screenshots, GPS location, passwords or biometric data, and Face ID or fingerprint checks stay on the phone.
What happens when someone walks away from their computer?
When the phone leaves, presence ends and NearAuth.ai stops vouching for that computer, so sign-ins that rely on it fail until the person comes back. When they return with their phone, access comes back without a prompt.
What if a computer signs in from an unusual place?
NearAuth.ai watches each computer's public IP address. If it jumps somewhere impossible, such as Boston and then Berlin ten minutes later, or comes through Tor, the company can require the owner to approve on their phone before that computer keeps working. The company's own office and VPN networks are never flagged.
Does it work with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365?
Yes. NearAuth.ai works with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, and SAML and OpenID Connect apps, with apps for iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows. People keep their Google or Microsoft account.
How much does it cost?
The Essential plan is free for up to 12 users, with no credit card. Advanced is $6 and Enterprise $9 per user per month.
Try it
Free for up to 12 people, no credit card. Most teams have their first five people running in about 15 minutes. For a larger team, book a 15-minute demo.
Christopher McLain, founder • chris@nearauth.ai • 607-238-3533