Comparing PhoneFactor to Certificates

Evaluating two-factor authentication solutions requires a look at three critical areas – the security and scalability of the technology, hurdles to user adoption, and the total cost (including internal costs) to deploy and support the system. Below is an analysis of certificate authentication systems and PhoneFactor’s phone authentication solution.

Certificates

Client certificates can be used to as an additional layer of authentication, but are not a true second factor of authentication. They are typically installed on the end user’s PC. Each certificate can only be used to authenticate one particular user because only that user’s computer has the corresponding and unique private key needed to complete the authentication process. Client certificates are delivered electronically; however, deployment and support of digital certificates have proven problematic. Many consumers do not have the technical skills needed to install a client-side software certificate. In a 2008 study published by the Credit Union Journal, digital certificates were noted as averaging very high support costs and very low rates of user acceptance due to difficult technical implementation requirements.

Technology	Additional authentication, but not true two-factor Support for a wide range of software applications
User Adoption	User must install a certificate to their PC Access from an unknown computer is not supported
Cost	Implementation costs, then relatively low per user cost Software setup and configuration High costs to support end users

PhoneFactor Phone Authentication

PhoneFactor’s phone-based two-factor authentication service offers a greater level of security and a better user experience than certificates. And, it’s significantly less expensive to deploy and maintain. PhoneFactor’s phone-based two-factor authentication service offers a greater level of security and a better user experience than soft tokens. And, it’s significantly less expensive to deploy and maintain. For more information try the PhoneFactor Demo or Download the Free Version.