2fa

2fa

Don't let them paste passwords...

After months of tweets, emails & articles from eminent figures like Troy Hunt & the NCSC, it's about time I weighed in on the debate surrounding sites which disable a user's ability to paste passwords. The general consensus amongst many experts, including those mentioned above, is that disabling paste on password fields reduces security; the NCSC went one step further, calling it "completely pointless" and "damaging". So without further ado, allow me to explain why I believe disabling pas

banking

Bank & Mobile Network Security: For want of a nail...

Ever since publishing a "two factor authentication vs two step verification" article in 2014, I've been waiting for an opportunity to irrefutably demonstrate the difference. Note: This article is very much a "work in progress" as until both exploits are patched, I can't provide any technical information. A quick recap... If you haven't yet read the above article, let's quickly recap on the differences between two-factor authentication & two-step verification. A "factor" falls into o

aes

Roboform Security Revisited: Lies, Deception & Misnomers.

You may recall, I recently published an article entitled "How secure is Roboform: The 5 Minute Challenge". Well, 6 months have passed and although there's been no official public response from Siber Systems, they have made a number of comments to journalists and customers by email/Facebook and support tickets; during which I've been labelled as "misinformed", "unpleasant" and "sarcastic". There were no bugs in the first place. Roboform on Facebook Hmm. They edited the post.

1password

Password Managers: Facts, Fallacies & FUD

Ah, passwords. The thought of choosing, remembering and inevitably resetting them is enough to make your blood boil. As a fundamental part of our digital lives and despite several reports claiming they're dead, our dependence on them shows little sign of slowing. A password manager is a great way to virtually eliminate the stress & hassle associated with passwords; itself sufficient reason to give them a whirl. Pick a good one though, and you'll almost certainly be safer too. What do t

hacked

The difference between two-factor and two-step authentication.

No lengthy article this time folks, just a flow diagram to demonstrate the differences between two-factor authentication and two-step verification. (full size) Why isn't an OTP via SMS a 2nd factor? At first glance, the mobile phone appears to be "something we have" (one of 3 factors necessary to be multi-factor), but that's not quite true. The device itself isn't key to successfully authenticating, but rather the OTP delivered to it. If it were truly a 2nd factor, it would be impos

identity

Does Two Factor Authentication Actually Weaken Security?

This article flies in the face of general consensus. As you're here, you either share this view or you're questioning my sanity and/or logic. Adoption Rates Ultimately, the success of any new technology hinges on the end-user. Trouble is, 2FA isn't new... we've used it in various contexts since the 1960s. An ATM machine for example, requires your PIN (something you know) and your card (something you have). When it comes to web-based authentication however, I'd argue it's actually an