'Net Features : authentication

Distributed Key Technology from AppMobi

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:18:00 GMT

appMobi released an authentication technology today dubbed cloudKey which could change ecommerce security for the better.

cloudKey is unique in that the user’s credit card information is stored on the user’s device and never in an online database. The private data is stored using 256 bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). Using a distributed key topology, cloudKey stores only the decryption keys in the cloud. Since that information is all but worthless without the device and password in hand, we could have a real winner here.

“With this advance, cloudKey has eliminated all the tempting targets for the bad guys; even if they could steal appMobi’s entire crypto key database and a user’s device, they’d then have to guess the user’s password, and at most they could get only 1 credit card number,” said Sam Abadir, appMobi’s CTO. “It would be a huge expenditure of effort for very little gain. By keeping private data local on the device, cloudKey makes massive security losses like the recent 77 million account Sony PlayStation network breach impossible.”

The product, which is available for use in Web and mobile apps, will be integrated immediately into appMobi’s 1Touch “single touch” payment system. The 1Touch technology integrated with any payment gateway including PayPal or Authorize.net and can even used with direct carrier billing.

Ping Identity Streamlines Authentication

Pete Prestipino — Thu, 26 May 2011 21:30:00 GMT

Ping Identity released PingFederate released a solution this week dubbed Cloud Identity Connectors which enables organizations to rely on cloud services providers and social networking sites for third-party user authentication. Ping Identity is a rather significant player in the market, securing 40 of the Fortune 100 using secure, open, standards like SAML, OpenID and OAuth.

The Ping Identity "Connectors" enable businesses to allow sign-on through (and connect with) six of the largest cloud service and social network sites, including Google (and other OpenID 2.0 providers), Salesforce and Facebook.

In a report from Blue Research released in February 2011, titled "Consumer Perceptions of Online Registration and Social Sign-In", 75 percent of line shoppers stated they may leave or note use a site that requires registration. When you successfully remove the barriers (in this case user registration) the result is not only a better user experience on the whole but higher user adoption, usage and purchase rates.

“The registration process is a source of frustration for consumers online – they are just as likely to leave a site as they are to spend the time to create a new identity profile. To increase registration and purchase rates, online businesses need to make access easier, without compromising security,” said Roger Oberg, Vice President of Marketing for Ping Identity. “PingFederate Cloud Identity Connectors provide our customers with ways to simply and securely authenticate their users into their Web properties by leveraging LinkedIn and other popular social networking services.”

Listrak Gets Advanced Profiling and Authentication

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:07:00 GMT

Email marketing provider Listrak announced the release of an updated version which includes enhanced profiling features and an expanded authentication tool to help users increase reputation and deliverability.

The profiling features include a one-off sending function that allows users to segment their list into a narrow, targeted group, and then hand-select specific members of the list that should receive the message. This provides a lot of control for serious email marketers, who are in constant pursuit of ways to deliver the right message at the right time.

Listrak new authentication tool gives users a confirmation that all branding and authenticating is in place prior to message deployment. The settings are marked with a green check mark if the settings are correct or a red X if the settings are incomplete or incorrect. Users can then fix whatever is wrong and deploy the message with confidence that it will be delivered to their subscribers' inboxes.

Website Magazine has been using Listrak for a few months now for its Web Success Weekly newsletter with tremendous results. While there is a learning curve with any sophisticated software solution, I have found Listrak quite intuitive by design and immensely powerful - and we've only scratched the surface of what it can really do.