TORONTO-Mobile security company Diversinet Corp. said its newest authentication offering is ready for commercial use via cell phones and other mobile devices.
The company explained that security tokens, sometimes called hardware tokens, authentication tokens or cryptographic tokens, are small devices people can use to authenticate computer users. The tokens are often pocket-sized, so users can carry them around in their wallets. The tokens provide ever-changing access codes or password codes to a user, which the user can then use to access a computer.
Diversinet says its MobiSecure soft-tokens can be embedded directly into mobile devices, negating the need for users to carry around an additional device. The tokens provide authentication for users to access remote online servers and conduct online business, such as banking, shopping and gaming.
The company also noted that MobiSecure system can be loaded into mobile devices with over-the-air, device-detection technology.
The soft-tokens are available for mobile devices running Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm and BlackBerry operating systems.
“With our technology, we’re able to bring strong authentication to the mainstream for a variety of mass market applications by enabling end users to provision, install and use strong authentication themselves,” said Nagy Mustafa, chief executive officer of Diversinet.
According to Moustafa, Diversinet’s soft-tokens and authentication services also make it easier for financial organizations to meet the new Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council security recommendations for two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication helps reduce account fraud and identity theft when users conduct business over the Internet.
