Authentication devices

Authentication devices like NFC refer to Near-field communication, a set of communication protocols that enables two devices, one of which is usually a portable device such as a smartphone, to establish communication by bringing them within a few cm of each other. They are synonymous with contactless payment systems, and are beginning to gain traction (particularly in bigger cities like London and New York). The attraction of them from a security perspective is that they can be used as an additional factor, and as the NFC sits outside of an online ecosystem security is increased. A key current drawback is that NFC capability in iOS is pretty much locked down with no indications as to when (if ever) the capability will be available for 3rd party applications sitting on an iPhone.

The following resources help to inform how authentication devices can be used as a source of additional security to support more mainstream solutions

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