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Introducing a secure two-factor authentication service for online accounts, addressing password vulnerabilities and phishing risks. Benefits consumers with increased security and businesses with free adoption options.
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CertAnon A Proposal for an Anonymous WAN Authentication Service David Mirra CS410 January 30, 2007
Who is online?1 73% of American adults 88% of 18-29 year-olds 91% of college-educated adults What are they doing?2 Communicating Shopping Banking A Wired World • US users, April 2006 - http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Internet_Impact.pdf • UK users, Q1 2005 - http://www.e-consultancy.com/publications/internet-stats-compendium/
The Identity Issue • Strong authentication needed for online accounts • Permit remote access for authorized users • Allow the good guys in • Keep the bad guys out • Typically done via username/password mechanism
The Problem with Passwords • More online accounts = more passwords • Complexity of passwords is limited by the human factor3 • Vulnerability is enhanced by the technology factor • Password control is difficult4 • Dissemination is too easy • Once compromised, a password is no longer effective for authentication 3. http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/realworld_passw.html 4. http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0503.html#2
The Risk of Theft • Phishing attempts are on the rise5 • Social engineering tricks users into divulging info • Crimeware steals account credentials directly 5. Anti-Phishing Working Group - http://www.antiphishing.org/
What’s Been Tried? • Microsoft .NET Passport6 and Sun Liberty Alliance7 • Single sign-on services for web commerce • Privacy concerns • Relied on username/password paradigm • Company-specific token authentication • A token for every site 6. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Passport 7. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Alliance
A New Proposal • Anonymous WAN authentication service • Used for any and all online accounts • Strong two-factor authentication • Limited information sharing • Initial customers are Internet users • Ultimate customers are online businesses
Two-factor Authentication8 • Something you know • A single PIN • Plus something you have • Hardware token generating pseudo-random numbers • Effectively changes your password every 60 seconds 8. RSA - http://www.rsasecurity.com/node.asp?id=1156
CertAnon Hardware • Four global servers running RSA Authentication Manager • RSA SecurID tokens available for retail purchase
CertAnon Software • Public web service • Encrypted authentication request/response • Free software modules for download by web site operators • Encourages adoption of CertAnon authentication
How Does It Work for Me? • Buy a token • Anonymous purchase • Register it with CertAnon • Anonymous registration • Create a web account anywhere • Check the box “I use CertAnon” • Link that account to your token • And off you go!
How About the Web Sites? • Register servers with CertAnon • Receive key to encrypt requests • Make CertAnon authentication available to customers • Authentication requests are sent to all CertAnon servers • First to respond is accepted
Benefits • Consumers • Only one pin to remember • Authenticate without sharing identity • Increased security • Pay once, protect forever • Businesses • Free for early adopters • No more password management • Close the “trust gap”
Pitfalls • Requires adoption by consumers and businesses • Establish trust • Make it easy to get and easy to use • Not a silver bullet • Part of defense-in-depth strategy • Governmental resistance to anonymity • Similar hurdles faced by encryption products
It Can Be Done • Available, affordable, and proven technology • Targets a large and growing market • Benefits consumers and online businesses • Manageable project scope, scaleable product • Build it and they will come!
Works Cited • “Failure of Two-Factor Authentication.” Schneier on Security. 12 Jul. 2006. Bruce Schneier. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/07/failure_of_twof.html>. • “Internet Penetration and Impact.” Pew/Internet. April 2006. Pew Internet & American Life Project. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Internet_Impact.pdf>. • “Internet Statistics Compendium - Sample.” E-consultancy.com. 9 Jan. 2007. E-consultancy.com LTD. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://www.e-consultancy.com/publications/download/91130/internet-stats-compendium/internet-stats-compendium-January-2007-SAMPLE.doc>. • “Liberty Alliance.” Wikipedia. 25 Jan. 2007. Wikipedia. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Alliance>.
Works Cited (cont.) • “Phishing Activity Trends: Report for the Month of November, 2006.” Anti-Phishing Working Group. Nov. 2006. Anti-Phishing Working Group. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/apwg_report_november_2006.pdf>. • “Real-World Passwords.” Schneier on Security. 14 Dec. 2006. Bruce Schneier. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/realworld_passw.html>. • “RSA SecurID Authentication.” RSA Security. 2007. RSA Security, Inc. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://www.rsasecurity.com/node.asp?id=1156>. • “Windows Live ID.” Wikipedia. 23 Jan. 2007. Wikipedia. 28 Jan. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Passport>.