1Kosmos wins Department of War IL4 identity approval

1Kosmos has obtained Department of War Impact Level 4 authorisation for its digital identity platform, covering access to systems used by military personnel, civilian staff, contractors and mission partners.

The approval extends the company's existing FedRAMP High Authority to Operate to defence workloads classed as mission-critical. 1Kosmos says this makes it the only Kantara-certified credential service provider with both FedRAMP High and IL4 authorisation on a single digital identity platform.

Defence access

Impact Level 4 applies to cloud systems handling Controlled Unclassified Information and other sensitive government data. In practice, the authorisation allows defence organisations to use the platform for identity verification and access control in environments with stricter security requirements than standard federal systems.

The approval comes as government agencies and defence contractors face continued pressure from identity-based attacks. Phishing campaigns, credential theft and social engineering remain persistent routes into sensitive systems, particularly where users work remotely, rely on service desks for account recovery, or operate across multiple organisations.

1Kosmos says its system ties access rights to a verified individual rather than relying only on passwords or traditional credentials. The platform combines identity proofing, a digital identity wallet and passwordless authentication in a single service.

The IL4-authorised service can be used across several defence processes, including onboarding contractors and mission partners, supporting identity assurance for remote and field operations, handling account recovery and service desk checks, and enabling access across agencies and partner organisations.

These use cases reflect a broader problem in military and government IT estates. Users often need to connect from shared devices, distributed sites or disconnected networks, while agencies must manage access for a mix of uniformed staff, civil servants, contractors and external partners.

That complexity has made identity central to zero-trust security models, which require organisations to verify users continuously rather than treat access as trusted once someone is inside a network. For many agencies, the challenge is tightening controls without disrupting operations or forcing separate identity systems on each unit or partner.

Market position

For 1Kosmos, the authorisation strengthens its position in the public sector identity market, where suppliers must meet a growing set of federal and defence security requirements before their products can be used in sensitive environments. FedRAMP High is aimed at the most security-sensitive civilian federal workloads, while IL4 is specific to defence use cases involving Controlled Unclassified Information.

The company has focused on remote identity verification and passwordless multi-factor authentication. It says its technology is already used in sectors including banking, telecommunications, healthcare, technology services and retail, and that it handles millions of authentications each day.

1Kosmos has raised more than USD $72 million in venture funding and is based in Iselin, New Jersey. Its IL4-authorised platform is available to Department of War components, military services, defence agencies and approved mission partners through existing federal procurement channels and cloud marketplaces.

Fadi Jarrar, Vice President of Public Sector at 1Kosmos, linked the approval to a wider shift in how defence organisations view identity threats.

"IL4 authorization represents a critical step forward in securing identity across defense environments," Jarrar said.

He added: "Adversaries are increasingly targeting military identities as the weakest link through phishing, social engineering, and AI-driven impersonation. By binding access to a verified, real person, the DoW can reduce that risk while improving access for warfighters, contractors, and mission personnel worldwide."