PhoneFactor, Inc has introduced its new authentication app for iPhones and iPads, and will soon be available for Android devices.
The app is backed by the innovative out-of-band architecture that uses a unique approach to push a notification to the user's smartphone or tablet. The app enables an alert to pop up when the user simply taps "Authenticate" (or enters a PIN and taps "Authenticate") in the PhoneFactor App to verify account logins and transactions.
It even protects against malware running on the user's computer and pass codes from mobile apps, which are entered into the user's computer, are not out-of-band and as such are vulnerable to attack.
Also, if an attacker tries to log in with stolen credentials or transfer funds from an account, the legitimate user receives a notification and can report fraud instantly from the PhoneFactor App.
The other advantage of this app is that it can be enabled for multiple accounts. For example, a controller may use the PhoneFactor App to verify online banking transactions while also using it to authenticate to the company VPN.
"There is a reason people use mobile apps to pay bills, check movie show times, and connect with friends: they are incredibly convenient," said Timothy Sutton, PhoneFactor CEO. "The same is true for using the PhoneFactor App for authentication. Users always have their phones with them and simply tapping 'Authenticate' when prompted by the app just could not be any easier. Users aren't even aware of the security benefits of PhoneFactor versus security tokens, but they know that they like it better."
Users can use the PhoneFactor App from anywhere with their mobile device if it is connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network. It even offers out-of-the-box integration with all leading remote access VPNs, web applications, cloud services, and banking systems.