Right Networks, a premier hosting provider of the most popular small business accounting applications, showed its commitment toward securing business applications in the cloud by entering into a partnership with PhoneFactor (News - Alert), a reputed provider of phone-based authentication.

Customers ranging from fortune 100 companies, large nonprofit organizations and even individuals are expected to reap the benefits of this joint venture as Right Networks' customers can now protect their data with phone-based multi-factor authentication very easily and simply.

Whenever a user logs in by entering a username and password, the user's phone rings and if the # is pressed, access is granted, however, in the case of unauthorized access, the user can block access by answering the phone and pressing 911#. Relevant countermeasures against the threat can then be taken.

In a press release, John Farrer, Chief Information Officer at Right Networks said, “The process is absolutely seamless to our users – there’s nothing for users to install, no tokens or other devices to carry, and no changes to the login interface – it couldn’t be any easier.”

Steve Dispensa (News - Alert), PhoneFactor’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer agreed that Right Networks was taking an important step in protecting its customers, and emphasized the importance of blocking fraudulent access to data for cloud-based services.

Notwithstanding the distinct advantages of cloud-based services, Dispensa stressed the need to adopt adequate security measures to protect data and applications in the cloud. He added that enterprises required even more stringent security in the cloud, including multi-factor authentication.

Dispensa also noted that stringent security was not only a best practice but was an essential requirement for many customers who had to meet rigorous compliance mandates.

He was eager to do everything to make the process of ensuring data integrity simple and convenient for customers by providing the best multi-factor protection available to fight today’s increasingly sophisticated threats.

In another news story, Right Networks announced its upcoming Accounting C4 –Cloud Computing Collaboration Conference to be held September 18-20, 2011 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts.