IT Security

Tapping into authentication

by Mark Rowe

Passwords will become a thing of the past, as a new way of two factor authentication dispenses with the password altogether; according to SecurEnvoy, a two factor authentication product firm. It’s announced the prototype of its latest OneSwipe authentication tool. It’s built upon Windows 10’s new near field communication (NFC) capability to authenticate a user’s identity via a tap of their phone. The prototype will be demonstrated at this year’s RSA conference in San Francisco.

Steve Watts, co-founder of SecurEnvoy, pictured, says: “Since the dawn of the digital age, we have signed up to the password, trusting in its ability to keep our digital lives safe from thieves and those who would mean us harm. As cybercrime reaches endemic proportions and computing power doubles every two years, the humble password, however elaborate, is now alarmingly susceptible to a brute force attack. We’ve recognised that whilst two-factor authentication as it currently exists eliminates the flaws of the traditional password, without simplicity it will never truly replace it. That’s why we’ve created OneSwipe with NFC capability. A pin. A tap. And you’re in. It’s that simple.”

SecurEnvoy OneSwipe provides what the makers term an intuitive user experience, while of the same strength as SecurEnvoy’s two factor authentication suite. Removing the need to remember lengthy URLs, passwords and user IDs, a user has to choose the account they want to activate, enter a four digit pin and tap their phone against any Windows 10 enabled PC or tablet device. This then automatically launches the chosen URL in the browser and automatically logs in. The IT product firm says that it plans to bring the one tap technology to Android and iOS later this year.

The current OneSwipe uses a onetime QR code generated every 30 seconds on a user’s device, which is then held up to a forward facing camera on a computer instead of an NFC tap. All current OneSwipe users will be upgraded to include NFC as the technology rolls-out to different platforms in the coming months; device permitting. The Windows 10 developer tooling preview was made available to Windows Insiders on 23rd March 2015, whilst Microsoft continues to work on finishing Windows 10.

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