Cash for Clunkers Extended
PhoneFactor Continues the Spirit of the CARS Cash for Clunkers Program By Allowing Companies To Trade In Outdated, Inefficient Security Tokens for Cash Toward Upgraded Technology
August 24, 2009 – PhoneFactor, a leading global provider of two-factor security services, today announced its new Cash for Security Clunkers program. Taking its cue from the CARS Cash for Clunkers rebate, the program provides up to a $3500 cash rebate for companies who trade in their security tokens for its more efficient phone authentication platform.
Security tokens, like RSA’s SecurID, have been used for decades to add an additional layer of security to corporate logins. When the user logs in, in addition to entering their username and password, they are also required to enter the temporary password from the token. A hacker would need to know an individual’s username and password and have physical possession of the security token to login. Just like a 1972 Chevy Suburban, security tokens will get you from A to B. But at what cost?
WIRED Magazine featured security tokens in its June 2008 article Worst. Gadgets. Ever. So, what’s wrong with security tokens?
• User Resistance – Users hate carrying and keeping track of security tokens. They are easy to lose and break. It’s often difficult to read the password displayed on the security token, particularly in low-light or for individuals with visual disabilities.
• Keychain Full of Tokens – As adoption of two-factor authentication continues to grow exponentially, you can imagine a janitor-style keychain full of security tokens (one for work, one for your online bank account, etc.).
• IT Hassle – Security tokens must be provisioned, mailed, inventoried, and replaced by IT departments. Security tokens are lost, expiring tokens must be re-provisioned every 2-5 years, and tokens can get out of sync.
• Vulnerable to Attack – Security tokens do not protect against emerging threats, such as man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Not Eco-Friendly – When a security token expires or is no longer needed, it goes straight into a landfill near you.
PhoneFactor offers a better solution. With PhoneFactor, users simply login with their username and password. Instantly, they receive an automated call. They answer and press # to verify their identity. It works with the user’s existing phone (landline or mobile). There are no additional devices for IT departments to manage and nothing extra for end users to carry. PhoneFactor’s out-of-band authentication protects against today’s sophisticated attacks and provides real-time notification if an attack is in progress.
The Cash for Security Clunkers program offers a $1 cash rebate for every security token that is traded in for the PhoneFactor service (up to $3500 per customer). The security tokens will be collected and destroyed within 90 days. The program ends September 30th.
The CARS Cash for Clunkers program requires gas guzzling trade-ins to be permanently decommissioned by replacing the motor oil with a sodium silicate solution. The Cash for Security Tokens program is looking for the best method to decommission tokens traded under the program. Anyone who has been frustrated by a lost or out-of-sync security token has probably already thought of a few ways.
To learn more about the program or suggest a method for decommissioning trade-ins, visit www.phonefactor.com/cashforclunkers/.
