It’s great to see that today Google has launched two factor authentication for users with a Google Account.
For many years Business has been using 2FA to provide additional login security for users. Now two factor authentication will be available to a much wider audience
If you’d like to do the same - Celo is the easiest way to add two-factor auth to any website or VPN, supporting self-service enrollment, choice of factor ( SMS, soft/hard token, smart phone push), and interactive login. We’re able to provide a large number of popular API’s which allow you to rapidly integrate Celo with your application
2FA is not new, however with a wide spread role out by an organisation the size of Google hopefully this will expose a much bigger user base to the benefits of 2FA and they’ll start to demand it for other applications as well.
2FA is a process which provides strong authentication that a user accessing an IT network or making a purchase on a website is who they say they are.
A 2FA solution is characterised by the fact that the user knows something – such as a password or a passphrase – and possesses something which is hard to steal or counterfeit. In most 2FA applications, ‘possession’ is demonstrated by knowledge of a one-time-password (OTP) that is generated either by a token, or at an initial log-in phase by the website’s / IT network’s server, and is communicated to the end-user via a device / token. As the name suggests, this password can only be used once - in real time – to authenticate the user for the associated data or financial transaction.
This process negates the possibility of a ‘constant’ password being lost or forgotten, or from being stolen, for example by a phishing attack (email scam), and then used to access a system illegally on a future occasion. The fact that the OTP is generated by a known source, communicated by an independent medium, and has to be inputted by the user before an operation is verified, makes it almost impossible for the transaction to be corrupted.

As an ISO27001 accredited organisation at Commerce Media we are continually looking at our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning. Moving into the autumn, as a country, we are again being reminded that the return of Swine Flu and the accompanying possible pandemic are a very real possibility.

Organisations need to plan for the possibility that during the coming month’s staff numbers may be depleted and that it may be necessary for staff who don’t normally work at home to do so. These temporary remote workers create an security issue if they are logging in remotely with only static passwords.

The ultimate solution would be to provide all members of the organisation with 2FA for remote login however this is not always possible or viable.

The answer lies in being able to provide temporary access as and when required. In order to achieve this organisations need a flexible solution which allows these temporary remote workers access when an emergency situation demands it.

When a major incident is declared the latest version of Celo provides administrators with the ability to deploy 2FA functionality to users who require it. Users have the ability to self enrol themselves for the duration of the emergency.

The ICE functionality within Celo ensures that whilst staff maybe quarantined they are still able to work remotely and securely for the duration.

An innovative sms 2 factor autentication solution developed by Commerce Media has been voted highly commended in the recent SC Magazine (Europe) Awards.
The awards which were held in London’s prestigous Hurlingham Club on the 28th April acknowledges the best security products on the IT market to date.
Celo is a customisable identity access amangement solution. during a standard login procedure whereby a user would enter their username and password, a request is sent to the server for vertification. If the username and password match a one time password(OTP) is delivered to either the users mobile phone, PDA, email account or to an instant message account. When prompted by the application, the user then enters the OTP to gain access. The OTP is delivered in real time and the life span is set so when it expires the OPT can not be reused.
Susan Robertson Marketing Director comments “We are delightled to have been recognised for our work on Celo. The strength of Celo as a product lies in it simplicity to implement and manage. It truly is a cost effective, robust solution which is capable of securing any remote access login. We are looking forward to deploying Celo in both the publice and private sectors in the future and thereby giving them the confidence that their systems are protected from unwarranted intrusion.”

From Monday April 6 an estimated 4.5 Million additional requests for flexible working could swamp UK businesses. New legislation comes into effect which gives all employees with children under 16 the right to request flexible working. Employers who receive such a request from an employee have a legal obligation to give the request “serious consideration”

Firms will have 28 days to discuss a request for flexible working with the employee concerned and another 14 days to give them a decision. Employees then have a further 14 days to appeal an unfavourable decision and employers then have a14 days in which to respond.

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Many businesses this week will have no doubt lost thousands if not millions of pounds worth of business due to the disruption caused by the recent snow fall. No doubt many workers struggled by working from home with limited or no access to data systems.

One way to allow employees to securely access data systems remotely is to deploy a two factor based system. Celo Remote - a sms 2 factor solution from Commerce Media is specifically designed to allow remote workers to login securely to systems which are held centrally by organisations.

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