Multi-Factor Authentication Information - multifactorauthentication.co

Consumers Fighting Identity Theft Need To Demand Data Breach Protection

Are you one of the millions affected by identity theft? Even if you are not, 2011 was the year of the data breach with over 36 million affected by breaches. Read More »

How to Remove Responsibility While Avoiding Data Breaches in Healthcare

If you are in the healthcare industry then you are familiar with privacy and how important it is to keep confidential data secure. Not only are you under the scrutiny Read More »

Verizon Reports Data Breach Count Rises While Records Breached Falls

With the number of data breaches on the rise why are the amount of records stolen dropping? Verizon recently released a report called the 2011 Data Breach Investigations Report Read More »

$60 Billion A Year Medicare Fraud and How Two Factor Authentication Can Increase Medicare Security

Medicare fraud is a huge problem in the United States. It is estimated that it costs taxpayers more than $60 billion each year. Some experts believe the number is higher Read More »

Safer Internet Day and how Two Factor Authentication Can Make It Safer

Today, February 7th, 2012 is officially Safer Internet Day (SID). Safer Internet Day is a global campaign that promotes a safer and healthier internet for everyone to use. It is Read More »

Building Trust Back Into The Cyber Communities

February 26, 2013 Adam Quart No comments

data-security In recent global news, the European Commission has made the decision to start enforcing a rule that dictates how cyber-related crimes are to be handled. This rule will apply to big technology firms and force them to adhere to the newly developed bill in which if a data security breach has occurred, the firm must notify local authorities about any cyber crime that affects users’ data. The soon to be instated bill will help hold these firms accountable with holding up a certain level of security in order to protect its users.

For obvious reasons, security is an issue that needs to be addressed with the utmost importance. There is simply just too much cyber crime that wrongfully attacks innocent victims in the world. It has been estimated that global cyber crime costs up to $114 billion each year, according to Symantec. These lewd acts of conduct causes more harm than just financial ones, but also credit and even reputational ones. Those who have been maliciously attacked may have had their confidential information compromised in a manner where it has been sold on the web in which criminals use this information to gain access to your accounts or use the information and monetize it in other ways.

A feasible and probable solution to this problem would simply be to implement preventive measures. When utilizing preventive measures, such as two factor authentication (TFA), the giant technology firms and it’s user base would not have to even go through the hassle of a non-protected network and risk a security breach. Two factor authentication will provide an added layer of security to the infrastructure and foundation of the technology firms where users being granted access will be more thoroughly verified as a valid user.

With both TFA and the new legislation about to be in place, the outcome will be favorable to the masses. Many people will benefit knowing that their confidential information will be in better hands and that there will be repercussion for negligence. It is quite sad to see that it has come to this where there needs to be negative consequences in order have these companies act on protecting their users. Nonetheless, data security is finally receiving the type of attention that is needed and security is in the future to come.

Class Action Lawsuit Against Blizzard

November 27, 2012 Adam Quart No comments

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This past summer, approximately in the month of May, Blizzard Entertainment (a subsidiary of an American video game publisher called Activision) had had their users’ account in harm’s way and many accounts were hacked. The hackers were able to wrongfully take users’ hard earned game gear and game gold. Now, these may just seem like child’s play, but it indeed takes a very long time to acquire gold and certain gear in the gaming world. These items actually do hold real life monetary value. Gamers around the world sell not only gold and gear, but their entire character. The game has players that they call avatars and these characters gain experience levels.

Well, just recently, a couple of players of the game have felt that the hacking was deemed negligence on Blizzard Entertainment’s part. Some players felt such a strong feeling of resentment that they have decided to take action and litigate. While litigation has started with just two players of the game, it has evolved in to a full blown class action lawsuit. The premise of this suit is that Blizzard should be offering the authenticator application as part of their monthly service that is players are already be charged. Instead, Blizzard decided to charge players for the use of their authenticator.

The authenticator is used in conjunction with a physical device, a fob key or a mobile device. The fob key is sold by the gaming company and retails for about $6.50. With this added stream of revenue, it seems as though Blizzard may have made $26 million. Blizzard attempts to defend themselves by stating their infrastructure is already secured and the authenticator is merely an additional layer of security for their uses.

Essentially, the authenticator is a form of two factor authentication using a random generated code called a one time password to secure its network. This code is sent to the user’s device of choice and at that point in time, they can enter the code in order to gain access. In this particular case, Blizzard requires that the authenticator be used either with a player’s mobile device or via a key fob when distributing the one time password. Using this form of security is a secure method of safeguarding accounts of all different sorts, industries ranging from health care, financial and governmental.

Are You A Skype User? See How Their Security Affects You

November 15, 2012 Adam Quart No comments

Skype is a technology company that is used throughout the world and may be in danger. Skype is so commonly used that the brand has become a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym. People would refer to calling with the help of Skype as “I’ll skype you in a minute”. Another example of a genericized trademark we all know and use is Google. When one says “google it”, we all know that means to do an internet search. Like most things that become significant in this world, it becomes a target. Skype having such a huge affect on people globally, it just might have become a target in the hacking community.

There are about 250 million Skype users that have been made vulnerable to individuals who can hack into their accounts. The online communication tool, which allows individuals to make video and audio calls internationally, has recently patched their bug by disabling their password reset feature. Prior to this temporary fix, the problem lies in that if an individual knows an email address associated with the account in combination with the account name, that individual would be able to gain access into the account. The access that is accessible to hackers could be used to obtain contacts of people. Things like spam, cold calls, sale of data are just a few things that could occur when contacts are in the wrong hands.

With problems in the technology world, security is and should be the utmost of concerns. Tons of data is either constantly being transferred or being stored on the cloud these days. Multi-factor authentication is a great way in which technology companies can ensure an extra layer of security is instilled so that users are safeguarded. An even stronger approach to security is when out-of-band authentication is used in combination with multifactor authentication when distributing a 1 time password (OTP). Essentially, the OTP would be be deliver through a completely different server. The server used to deliver the OTP is made separate in the incident of the primary server is compromised.

Is The IRS Jeopardizing Your Confidential Information?

November 08, 2012 Adam Quart No comments

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has addressed their issue with the Internal Revenue Service for the lack of effort and efficiency in adopting the improved security using SmartID. SmartID cards are used to access computer systems by using a method of security, two factor authentications. The initial scheduled date for the implementation of two factor authentication was set for the month of September of 2011 but the Internal Revenue Service has pushed that date to July 2013, that’s almost two years!

Inspector General J. Russell George of the Treasure Inspector General for Tax Administration has explained that two factor authentication is a much secured approach to protecting taxpayers’ confidential information by having employees of the Internal Revenue Service be first verified prior to gaining access to the computer system.

Thus far, the IRS has shown what seems to be a lack of stress on the matter. One very significant way that they illustrated this lack of concern is the non appointment of a project manager. In most important things that people want to achieve, there is always an initiative to have some direction and cohesion with a group when dealing with a big project such as the one we see before us. The IRS chief technology officer, Terence V. Milholland, actually stated, “The IRS agrees with the general premise of the report that we have not made sufficient progress on implementation of Smart Cards for logical access”. As the IRS concurs with the overall procrastination that has been going on their own behalf, they do however disagree with the fact that more tests are needed to be conducted prior to rolling out with the newly developed two factor authentication security system that is to be employed in the month of July 2013.

Overall, the public has a right to the privacy of its information. By the lack of importance that have been placed on the issue at hand by a government agency that is meant to serve the people, elected by the people, the American taxpayer may have to suffer the consequences by a potential threat that we all see more prevalent in today’s day and age, data beaches. There are countless incidents of online hackers maliciously attacking the healthcare industry, financial industry, and other government agencies. The IRS must come to a realization that longer they take to implement the information security system, the longer we are allowing deviant individuals to cause mayhem.

Dropbox Uses 2 Factor Authentication

August 28, 2012 Adam Quart No comments

As cloud computing is becoming more and more popular, the amount of malicious acts towards these cloud computing companies has also increased. Just recently, Dropbox has had one of their employee’s account hacked. The hacker was able to get a hold of one of their project files which contained a substantial amount of credentials of Dropbox users’ accounts. With the copious amount of confidential data, much of it was used for spam campaigns with Dropbox users receiving spam from gambling sites.

If security vulnerabilities exist with companies that provide cloud computing services, it would be most detrimental to this industry for obvious reasons. Individuals, communities, organizations, and corporations would be limited to the type of expansions that come with the advancements we have made thus far. Presentations, spreadsheets, documents, and files can be stored and shared anywhere in the world which can take us as far as our imaginations can go. People are able to share their experiences online with not only photos but also with video. Companies can save from overhead costs which they would have traditionally have to spend but now some of their employees can work more efficiently remotely.

Dropbox offers a great service to the online community, and it best of all, it’s free. The service is simple, they provide individuals the ability to store files of all types on their serve, the “cloud”. With the recent hacking of their infrastructure, Dropbox has decided to step up their security by utilizing two factor authentications. This two factor authentication method consists of using a one-time password sent to either a user’s email or a mobile device. There is also an option provided to Dropbox users which is an authenticator using a third party via app-compatible devices.

Two factor authentication can provide an added layer of protection for any user base, whether it be the financial, healthcare, governmental, or enterprise. The concept of two factor authentication is rather simple with the verifying process consisting of 2 factors, which can be what a person knows (password), what a person has (one time password), or what a person is (biometric). The most secure method of two factor authentication would be one that utilizes an out-of-band authentication network distributing one time passwords. The most cost effective channel would be using a mobile device because of how society is today, as opposed to using key fobs or other type of tokens. The reason being is that just about over 90% of teens and older now own a cell phone. This makes mobile devices a more cost effective method of distributing a one-time password without having to issue out hardware to everyone individual. These individuals already have the hardware, a mobile device.