SMS Two Factor Authentication (Dual Factor Authentication) is a security verification procedure, which is triggered through a user logging into a website, software or application . In the log-in process, the user is automatically sent an SMS to their mobile number containing a unique numeric code.
SMS is a great way to do this, according to abouttextmarketing.com and others.
In today’s world of increasing threats online, anyone using the Internet is sufficiently informed of the risks involved. With the multitude of online accounts existing today, users are afforded the option of logging-in different accounts with different user-names and device-names in order to complete their daily tasks. Because of this, hackers are provided with an opportunity to easily and rapidly hack-aware a user’s user-name and then use that information to access the user’s account in a manner not seen since the days of the Roman Empire.
One of the most dangerous features of SMS-based two factor authentication is that while providing users with a way to confirm their identity in a digital environment, also provides those with criminal intent the means to fraudulently use that access.
According to Stringer, a newsletter put out by technology industry leader, Citius Media, and routinely scans the FBI’s database in an attempt to find holes in its database and identify vulnerabilities for law enforcement use.
“The FBI consumed hundreds of hours in fiscal year ’08 analyzing and exploiting vulnerabilities,” according to the newsletter. “The FBI expects that an even larger number of vulnerabilities will be found in the coming months as the company works to improve the software’s defenses and policies.”
SMS, a technology that encrypts messages and begins to session on the phone, has been around for more than 15 years. But according to Stringer, the FBI spent more than $100,000 on developing a mobile phone back door that exploits one of the most widely used flaws in the software.
The company’s bug-free mobile phone software includes a single-ended certificate, which allows any user to authenticate simply by posing his or her cellphone in front of a phone certified to run the correct version of the software.
SMS offers a mobile phone that can also generate a one-time password and stores all other credentials in a secure database, available to only authorized users.
In contrast, according to Stringer, VoIP or Voice over IP services using Two Factor Authentication use one of two codes and one time passwords to authenticate the user.
The higher level of security is meant to guard against malware that may attempt to either capture the user’s interception or maliciously alter data on the user’s computer.
However, due to the difference in weight between the two codes, the user’s authentication may not be entirely reliable.
As a result, SMS based two factor authentication may not be an option for you.
On the other hand, if you typically use a mobile device to make authentication changes on your account, then you may have a more difficult time protecting your account online. However, the benefit is that once you switch mobile devices you will be able to authenticate again with a different code, making it difficult for someone to steal your credentials.
Credit card fraud is also something to consider. While two factor authentication adds a protection that traditional card data encryption cannot always guarantee, it is still important to monitor your accounts for unauthorized charges.
Monitoring your accounts for unauthorized charges may not be a bad deal for you. When you reach into your financial reach, you can rest assured that all of your transactions are being watched.
2. Sending messages and receiving messages via Two Factor Authentication
Because of the increase in fraud associated with mobile transactions, it is important to implement 2FA with all transactions to avoid incurring fraudulent charges.
Two Factor Authentication is a simple yet an extremely powerful way of protecting the security of your account through USB devices and mobile devices. Two Factor Authentication is a part of User Access Security (UAS), which is the addition of some of the most powerful security features integrated into traditional user authentication processes.
Following are some of the features that are set apart from the standard user authentication processes:
– File sharing access is not affected.
– Other services such as remote control software for access to restricted folders, file transfer and deletion access are not affected.
– SMS text messages and remote access access messages are not affected.
– All of these transactions are authenticated and verified.
When Two Factor Authentication is turned on, many of these security measures will become very easy. Also, many of them will become more reliable because of the addition of the dynamic one-time password. The addition of this technology costs nothing except for the cost of installing the software on your mobile devices and on your computer. Moreover, the software is free to use.
You can now recognize legitimate users when you receive in your inbox a message that needs your personal information. Before opening the message, make sure that you first choose the correct category of message and then you can go ahead and open the message. Once you are done with it, you can then delete the message. Also, you can turn onmitter if you have enabled that feature in your Yahoo Messenger.
To get some help implementing two-factor auth using SMS, have a look at some of the SMS suppliers listed on this site (in Swedish).