Two-Factor for the Masses

You’ve seen it in the movies; sci-fi high-tech government agencies using retinal scanners to identify individuals, granting them access to some top secret something. Truth is, some companies actually have similar crazy-expensive hardware to implement two-factor security for their company.

PhoneFactor is an innovative service that combines an ordinary phone and a simple piece of software to set up Two-Factor authentication. What is two-factor authentication? It is 2 things:

Something you know: a username/password
+
Something you have: a retina, a token, or with PhoneFactor, a phone (any phone)

PhoneFactor works by entering a username/password online. Then PhoneFactor calls your phone, you answer, press # and you’re logged in. its that simple.

Recently I was tasked with brand identity, strategy, GUI design, and usability for the site and application. The project has been incredibly inspirational not only because of the partnership with the great people at PhoneFactor. But, ALSO because of the incredible impact an innovation like this can make. What a privilege.

Several online banking sites have introduced a form of weak two-factor level of security. It usually comes in the form of “identify your image”. you pick an image of a ball, or puppy, or flower, etc. and this helps add some additional level of security. But, its really what you know… and, what you know.

If banks would adopt the technology it would add a high-tech, secret government, level of security for all of us. In fact any site with any kind of valuable data can use PhoneFactor. Nearly anyone can set it up, its free. Its Two Factor for the masses.

Additionally, this innovation could really make openID even stronger.