2007
Paypal Security Key
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Paypal has a beta program that allows you to order an RSA token from them for extra security. Anyone can head over to Paypal and sign up for it. Right now there is a one time fee of $5(free for Business accounts) that comes directly out of your Paypal account.
Naturally I ordered one. In the package was the key itself, a wallet card, packing slip, Top 10 safety tips and an “Activating your Security Key” card. Setup was pretty painless. Login to Paypal and click the Activate Security Key link. From there it asked for the serial number and then the current code from the key and finally another code from the key 30secs after the first one.
What happens is when you login to Paypal using your login and password, your taken to an additional page were you type in the current number displayed on your Security Key. The key changes every 30secs. If for some reason someone knows your login/password they still need to have that code to access your account. “Something you know and Something you have”. Its very seamless and adds an extra layer of security for the paranoid.
I’ve actually just started using Paypal as my main debit card leaving my bank’s debit card at home. I move what I will need into my paypal account and this keeps me from those impulse buys I always fall for and helps keep me on a budget. It is a little weird reaching for my keys everytime I want to login to Paypal but I do feel a little safer with all the phishing going on with Paypal and eBay.
You can also link the key to your eBay account but I haven’t gone as far as that yet. One other nice feature is you can attach the 6 digit number to the end of your password. This bypasses the secondary screen and logs you right in saving you some time.
ProBizTeam has made a Comment
I’m on my second key. The first one allowed me to activate it, but I couldn’t log in with the credentials it supplied. Tech support sent me a second key, which I’ve been trying to activate this evening with no luck. Tech support says they are having problems with activation and will let me know, within the next couple of days when I can try to activate it! If this is the level of reliability, fault tolerance and support that this particular PayPal subsystem is going to have, I want no part of it!
March 26, 2007 @ 10:04 pm