Two Ways of Deploying Two-Factor Authentication

Using two factors together does not always bring higher security.

Higher security is obtained when two factors are used in ‘multi-layer’ deployment at the sacrifice of convenience, while better convenience is obtained when two factors are used in ‘multi-entrance’ deployment at the sacrifice of security.

We must be careful not to mix up these two ways of deployments that have exactly the opposite security effects lest a serious false sense of security should be created and spread.

For more discussions, click the link

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/quantitative-examination-multiple-authenticator-hitoshi-kokumai/

Comments

Expanded Password System to Complement FIDO2

2 is larger than 1 but is not necessarily stronger than 1, as two children could be overwhelmed by a grown-up. For a two-factor authentication to be really reliable, each factor should be reasonably secure and usable enough. On the other hand, ‘password-less’ authentication, however attractive it might sound, would only benefit bad guys as examined in the link page - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/removal-passwords-its-security-effect-hitoshi-kokumai/ People who offer a token as 'a factor' of two factor authentication schemes could all be viewed as our potential down-stream partners. Among them are the people who offer FIDO2-compatible solutions. Put together, we could come up with the two-factor authentications that are much more reliable than otherwise.

‘Authenticators’ and ‘Deployment of Authenticators’

There are not a few security professionals who wrongly mix up the layer of ‘authenticators’ with that of ‘deployment of authenticators’, talking as though the former and the latter were competing each other, for example, ‘Multi-Factor Authentication is better than a password’ and ‘ID federation is better than a password’. The password is an ‘authenticator’. So are the token and biometrics. Whereas MFA and ID federation like FIDO and Open ID are ‘deployment of the authenticators’ Expanded Password System is to be found on the layer of 'authenticator', while the likes of Open ID and FIDO are all to be found on the upper layer of 'deployment of authenticators' and, as such, the likes of Open ID and FIDO could naturally be our down-stream partners. There are also some people who wrongly allege that removing an authenticator should increase security. They are plainly misguided as examined here – “Removal of Passwords and Its Security Effect” https://www.linke...

Robust 2-Channel Authentication

2 is larger than 1, but not necessarily stronger than 1. https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/20/twitter_security_update_hackers_broke_2fa/ By bringing in the concept of Expanded Password System, we are able to protect important accounts more reliably than conventional 2-factor/step authentications as outlined here – “Advanced Persistent Threats in Digital Identity” https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advanced-persistent-threats-digital-identity-hitoshi-kokumai/ This is not a hypothesis. It has been quietly but effectively deployed since 2014 for a security-centric corporate network by 1,200 employees. Needless to say, asymmetric cryptography could be additionally incorporated for yet higher security where needed.

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