Intel and SecureKey recently announced a partnership that will bring the security company's authentication technology to Intel devices. The results of this collaboration will begin to hit the market in the middle of 2012, and will add another layer of protection in the ongoing war against data loss and identity theft.

The Power of Two-Factor Authentication

Logging into an online service or checking out from an online store generally requires just a username and password, a process called single-factor authentication, because you simply need to know the information. Many online services are starting to require an additional layer of protection based on a small card, device, or mobile app that uses an algorithm to generate a random, secret key required to access the system. This is considered two-factor authentication, and it is currently the standard for services that require tight security.

SecureKey can take two-factor authentication one step further by embedding this second form of authentication into a secure, sequestered area of the device processor, enhancing security and reducing annoyance to the user, who no longer had to manually enter the second key. The use of short-range communication, like near field communication (NFC), allows the user to instead simply tap the card to the device. SecureKey technology can also be used to manage fleets of NFC contactless cards or to expedite the online ordering experience.

SecureKey and Intel

As noted in this TechFinance article, the global agreement between SecurKey and Intel covers Intel's upcoming Ultrabook devices that contain Ivy Bridge processors, although one would expect that if that collaboration proves a success, additional Intel chips would also include the technology as well. According to this MarketWatch press release, the new technology will become a part of Intel's Identity Protection Technology (IPT), which is designed to improve a user's security without sacrificing convenience.

Intel and SecureKey will also be working together on new solutions that could enhance identity security beyond where it currently stands, although no details of those future plans have been released.

Mobile Security in the Future

As more and more devices flood the IT landscape, each containing enough personal information to accurately guess usernames and password, the importance of an additional layer of security can't be stressed enough. This new collaboration between Intel and SecureKey will enable the security company to greatly increase the number of people who have access to enhanced security.

For IT managers, employee negligence regarding sensitive information like usernames and passwords is one of the biggest concerns regarding corporate security. Once a criminal discovers an employee's username and password, through processes that are often shockingly simple, they have access to a great deal of data at the company. Additional layers of security will greatly reduces the chance of a security breach and can give those in charge of security a little piece of mind.

Beyond the obvious security benefits for those who will be using devices with the next generation of Intel processors, this collaboration shows that the industry is actively working on the ease at which information is compromised on today's Internet. Over the course of 2011, it seemed like every few weeks brought announcements of another major security breach that threatened business and caused no small amount of embarrassment for many companies. If this collaboration signals a shift where hardware manufacturers begin to take security more seriously, the benefits for anyone using the Internet will be substantial.