Duo News & Press

Ann Arbor, Michigan — February 19, 2013 — Duo Security announced today that the high level of security traditionally associated with hardware smart cards is now available on consumer mobile devices that use Duo's two-factor authentication service (2FA). Duo's mobile app, commonly used for two-factor authentication in the enterprise, now leverages the hardware security module (HSM) embedded in the latest mobile devices to provide a secure, tamper-proof credential that cannot be copied or cloned. Duo takes advantage of the same hardware-backed technology present in modern Android devices that powers security-critical virtual wallet applications.

"Duo's approach to 2FA is ideal because it utilizes the hardware we already have," says renowned mobile security expert Charlie Miller. "Like most people, I always have my phone with me. Now, if my phone supports HSM, Duo takes advantage of the added layer of security."

Over the years, Duo has been at the forefront of mobile security, lending its research and expertise to strengthen the security of mobile platforms used for two-factor authentication in the enterprise. Through the X-Ray research project, which allowed users to scan for unpatched security vulnerabilities, Duo discovered that over 50% of Android devices globally are vulnerable to privilege escalation exploits.

Duo's new technology on select Android devices can provide a trusted platform for authentication, even in the face of such privilege escalation vulnerabilities. By storing the user's private key material in the tamperproof HSM, the credential can not be stolen or cloned by an attacker, even if the user's mobile device has been fully compromised.

"By leveraging the unique hardware security capabilities of modern Android devices, our Duo Push technology is not only the most user-friendly two-factor authentication in the market, but also the most secure," says Dug Song, CEO of Duo Security. "Duo continues to lead and innovate in mobile security to ensure consumer mobile devices can act as trusted authenticators in the modern enterprise."

Customers of Duo's two-factor authentication service will begin enjoying the security benefits of a hardware-backed credential immediately and transparently on supported mobile devices.

About Duo Security
Duo Security is the easiest two-factor authentication service to deploy, administer, and use. Duo's service can be set up in as little as 15 minutes, and used immediately by anyone with a phone. Over 1,000 organizations in over 80 countries rely upon Duo to prevent online account takeover and data theft. Backed by Google Ventures and True Ventures, Duo has been deployed by some of the most security-conscious organizations on the planet along with 3 of the top 5 social networks. Learn more and try it for free at www.duosecurity.com.