Can Your Mobile Phone Be Your Greatest Online Security Asset_
In the early days of the internet, all you needed to log into an account or website was a username and a short, simple password. Today, we know that passwords are not secure and can easily be spoofed, cracked, and stolen. With just your password, a hacker can steal your personal information, from your address to your social security number.
Two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication are methods created to add security to your password, strengthening your login credentials so scammers and hackers need more than just a password to access your account. Two-factor authentication methods include single-use email links, codes sent via text message, and thumb print or voice recognition.
While these multi-factor authentication methods have merit, each method has its own weaknesses. For starters, these methods also rely on having a password to log in with. The strongest secure login system, then, is one that doesn’t rely on passwords in the first place. Text messages and emails can be hacked and are not secure, and thumb prints and voice can be copied and used without your knowledge thanks to print lifting and voice recording. So what are the alternatives to these multi-factor authentication methods? Physical security keys.
Tech Introduces Physical Security Key Measures
The insecurity of passwords has been known for years, but large companies and tech giants have been slow to come up with viable solutions. Multi-factor authentication methods like those listed above were a good step in the right direction, but even those methods have their weaknesses.
With each data breach and stolen password library, tech companies couldn’t hide the weakness of passwords and login security any longer. Within the last few years, tech companies across the globe have worked to develop and launch security measures and multi-factor authentication methods that actually work. The new authentication type is based on possession authentication; a device or tool you own and hold allows access to your account.
Google developed and introduced a security key in the form of a USB drive which, when connected, would verify credentials and encrypts your login data. This USB key’s safety is in its disconnect from your device; even a compromised computer won’t disrupt the safety of the USB drive, which can be safely removed from your device. But even Google has come to terms with the fact that USB drives can be easily lost or forgotten. Or worse yet left in the machine allowing access from stolen credentials. Google has since turned to using smartphones as the security key feature in passwordless login systems, and it’s catching on—fast.
TraitWare Turns Your Phone Into a Security Asset, Passwordless Multi-Factor Authentication and Your Smartphone
It’s clear that technology companies are, as a group, learning just how powerful the smartphone can be for login security. We use our phones day in and day out, making them the perfect device to use for secure login systems. The future is passwordless, and phones are the new authentication key. Your mobile phone can be your greatest security asset.
Tech companies have released secure login systems using just your smartphone, and there’s no sign that they’ll turn back from the path of passwordless authentication. If you’re serious about your online security and the security of your business, it’s time to abandon passwords for good. Pick a passwordless system that will keep your front door lock. Choose a system that uses mobile devices as their authentication key. Cutting the likelihood of lost or stolen security tokens. The best mobile passwordless login system? TraitWare.
TraitWare is a passwordless multi-factor authentication solution. Login with a unique authentication method: when logging into an account, TraitWare generates a unique identity and a single-use QR code. Using your smartphone, you scan the QR code and are confirmed for login. No passwords, no stolen credentials. Use TraitWare across multiple websites, applications, and systems; it’s easy to implement, scalable, and easy to use. TraitWare can be used on both your desktop and on your mobile device, so you’re secure no matter where you go. Make the smart switch when going passwordless: use TraitWare.