Tired of Passwords?
“We have kill passwords!” declared Terry Halvorsen (DOD CIO – Department of Defense Chief Information Officer) at a recent news conference. He went on to say “I’m up to 397 passwords I’m supposed to remember. I don’t know what the answer is, but passwords isn’t the answer!” Recent consumer survey also confirms that sentiment that most users are frustrated with remembering passwords and maintaining passwords. If you count yourself among this group and, like most PSMail users, consider yourself security conscious, the abundance of passwords can put even more strain on you as you are forced to repeatedly create unique, complex passwords and remember them.
PSMail has thought about this problem long since 2004! We have been providing software based token to time based OTP token support for sometime. The image below displays our evolution through history.
Our most current solution is using a time based TOTP (Time Based One Time Passwords). TOTP provides you with a randomized, temporary password that you don’t have to remember. These passwords change on a regular basis (they may be valid for as little as 30 seconds) and eliminate the need for you to test your memory or your creativity. In addition, they actually provide a more secure way to access your resources (emails, files, personal information) online. PSMail adds an additional layer of protection using a PIN number as well adopting the mOTP methodology.
So how does it work?
PSMail has supported several forms of OTP for its growing number of expat and international users. In the past, PSMail provided custom software to install and use with the OTP system. However, today’s mobile devices make it much easier to provide support for our OTP systems. These systems can ease the pressure of creating and remembering so many passwords and are powerful ways to protect your account when using a public or insecure browser to access your PSMail account.
Interested? To help you begin taking advantage of this service, we’ve put together two video tutorials, one for each of two options you have with our OTP system.
Using iOTP mobile application.
Using Google Authenticator.