Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    NIST Says SMS-Based Two-Factor Authentication Isn’t Secure

    Written by

    Michelle Maisto
    Published July 27, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      While Google has encouraged users to enable two-step authentication within Google Apps, to add “an extra layer of security,” the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology updated it Digital Authentication Guidelines (DAG) July 27 and now reports that two-factor verification over SMS isn’t secure and should be banned.

      The relevant paragraph, first spotted by Hacker News, states:

      “If the out-of-band verification is to be made using an SMS message on a public mobile telephone network, the verifier SHALL verify that the pre-registered telephone number being used is actually associated with a mobile network and not with a VoIP (or other software-based) service. It then sends the SMS message to the pre-registered telephone number. Changing the pre-registered telephone number SHALL NOT be possible without two-factor authentication at the time of the change. OOB [out-of-band verification] using SMS is deprecated, and will no longer be allowed in future releases of this guidance.”

      NIST does approve, however, of authentication via multifactor (MF) one-time passwords (OTP), where the second authentication factor is biometric, like a fingerprint, or input with an entry pad or interface, as through a USB port.

      “The one-time password is typically displayed on the device and manually input to the verifier, although direct electronic output from the device as input to a computer is also allowed,” the DAG explains. “For example, a one-time password device may display 6 characters at a time. The MF OTP device is something you have, and it may be activated by either something you know or something you are.”

      The DAG adds that any biometric data derived from a biometric sample “SHALL be immediately erased from storage immediately after an authentication transaction has taken place.” (Uppercasing and italics are NIST’s.)

      An SMS workaround is a solution like Google Prompt, which the company made widely available June 20. Rather than send an SMS with a six-digit code to type in, Prompt sends a push notification that a user simply taps to approve a log-in request. On Android devices, it’s integrated into Google Now, and on iOS it’s part of Google Search, though users need to download the Google Search app and sign in.

      (Google notes that a data connection is required to use Prompt, and Prompt and Security Keys can’t be enabled at the same time.)

      Google began testing Prompt in December with a limited group of users, saying it wanted to curb phishing and other attacks based on the exploitation of passwords.

      In recent years, SMS has been tied to a number of security issues. At the Black Hat Security Conference in 2013, a cryptographer at Security Research Labs used SMS to hack into a phone in just two minutes. And last year, a flaw in Android made nearly a billion phones vulnerable to a virus that could be sent via SMS, whether the recipient opened the message or not.

      While there is no legal obligation to follow NIST guidelines, most major companies do.

      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.