How Deda Sphere secures 1M+ authentications for 70+ credit unions and their members
In financial services, when you operate authentication at the scale we do, stability is a requirement. SecureAuth runs reliably for our platform serving millions of members across 70+ financial institutions.
The challenge
For Deda Sphere, the challenge went beyond securing a single organization. Its digital banking platform serves 70+ independent credit unions, each with its own brand, member base, and risk posture. Any friction, failure, or vulnerability in the authentication experience would erode both member trust and institutional credibility.
Deda Sphere needed an authentication solution that could:
- Handle MFA at scaleSupport 1M+ authentications
- On-premises deploymentSatisfy data sovereignty requirements and simplify SOC 2 compliance
- Full infrastructure ownershipDeda Sphere’s engineering team retains direct control over the identity stack, with reduced dependency on third-party SaaS availability or roadmap
- Per-instance isolationEach credit union runs a dedicated authentication environment with its own branding, data boundary, and configuration
- Policy configurability without custom devConfigure varying authentication policies, risk thresholds, and MFA methods per instance, without custom code
- Operationally scalableOnboarding a new credit union becomes an operational task, not an engineering project
The SecureAuth solution
After evaluating available options, Deda Sphere chose SecureAuth for its unique combination of:
- Platform stability
- Adaptive security architecture
- On-premises deployment flexibility
- Multi-tenant deployment configurability
The compliance advantage: US software for US financial services
With SecureAuth, the path from vendor evaluation to compliance documentation was direct: request the SOC 2 report, receive it, file it. That simplicity has downstream value for credit unions doing their own vendor due diligence.
If you want to work in the bank world in the United States, you must be SOC 2. Having a US-based vendor with SOC 2 certification makes the compliance conversation straightforward, for us and for our credit union clients.
Platform stability
SecureAuth’s platform is very stable, and that is critical for our business operations and the trust we have with our client base.
How it works: Security through adaptive MFA
SecureAuth gave Deda Sphere the tools to secure member access without introducing friction, applying the right level of authentication for the right level of risk.
| Operation | Risk level | Authentication method |
|---|---|---|
| Standard login | Standard | Push notification-based MFA via mobile |
| Fund transfers | Higher risk | Additional authentication layers applied at transaction time |
| Contextual signals | Dynamic | Adaptive MFA adjusts authentication parameters in real time based on risk context |
On-premises deployment: control, compliance, and a reduced attack surface
Deda Sphere deployed SecureAuth entirely on-premises.
- Regulatory complianceA closed, controlled environment simplified the SOC 2 audit process. No external cloud dependencies in the authentication path.
- Reduced attack surfaceFewer intermediary systems between the banking platform and the authentication layer mean fewer points of failure and fewer attack vectors.
- Data sovereigntyMember authentication data stays in a defined, audited data center and is not distributed across cloud infrastructure.
Dedicated instances: complete isolation, repeatable deployment
One dedicated SecureAuth instance per credit union: fully isolated, independently configured
Built to scale
As Deda Sphere onboards new credit unions onto its platform, SecureAuth’s architecture means that each new institution gets its own dedicated, isolated, fully configured authentication instance, stood up through a repeatable process rather than a bespoke engineering effort. For a B2B2C platform company operating at scale in a regulated industry, that combination of isolation, configurability, and operational repeatability is not just an advantage: it is the foundation of the business model.
About Deda Sphere
Deda Sphere is a core and digital banking platform purpose-built for credit unions. Across its digital banking platforms, it serves more than 70 credit union clients in the U.S. and handles 1M+ authentications for members accessing financial services through its platform.
- Business model
- B2B2C
- Deployment
- Fully on-premises, one dedicated SecureAuth instance per credit union
- Capabilities used
- Adaptive MFA · Dedicated instances · On-premises deployment