Security vendor VeriSign, Inc. (News - Alert), has continuously been involved in driving the adoption of mobile phone-based security for online access.

 

In order to bring the networked security to higher levels, the company now offers its VeriSign Identity Protection or ‘VIP’ Authentication Service, a cloud-based authentication service that helps secure online access for end users utilizing their mobile phones. It has been currently offering support to standalone mobile security applications and Mobile Software Development Kits or ‘SDKs’ for building security into mobile applications.

 

The company provides the VIP Access for Mobile application without any charge, and the service transforms more than 500 different types of mobile devices into VIP credentials for strong authentication including an array of handsets.

 

These include iPhone (News - Alert), BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and other handsets supporting the J2ME and BREW platforms. Within the security platform, each user requires to provide not just a username and password but also a unique, one-time six-digit security code generated by the user’s VIP authentication credential, which enables a strong authentication system at the platform.

 

Apart from the legacy mobile devices, latest handsets such as Nexus One, an Android (News - Alert)-powered device, and other Android phones from HTC, Samsung and Motorola are being added for the support by VIP Access for Mobile application. A free application is available from Android Market that enables the Android phone users to enjoy the added safeguards of VeriSign Identity Protection.

 

At the same time, VIP Access for Mobile for the Android platform provides the businesses using Google (News - Alert) Apps Premier Edition with a newer way to add an extra layer of protection when accessing their information.

 

Leveraging the VeriSign Mobile SDK, developers can easily embed VIP security into their value added mobile applications. These applications include mobile banking, mobile payments, social networks and media distribution. Additionally, the mobile SDK can be deployed by the VIP customers to simplify account access for their users while making the logon experience much safer and easier.

 

If an organization relies upon the Mobile SDK, it means its users can maintain or shorten the logon process with security provided ‘under the hood’ between the mobile application and the enterprise. It streamlines the logon process for them as they don’t need to go through the three-step process of entering their username, password, and dynamic security code anymore.

 

According to Kerry Loftus, Vice President, User Authentication, VeriSign, “as mobile devices become the preferred way for communicating, banking, social networking and accessing rich media content, the need for enhanced logon and transaction security is greater than ever.”

 

As such, “the VeriSign Identity Protection provides enterprises and consumers the tools to access a very cost-effective cloud-based security solution” built to foil the criminal efforts of hackers, identity thieves and fraudsters, Loftus said.