The recent news about how Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's Yahoo email account was hacked makes it clear as day that we need better security for web based email, and we need to close the giant loophole of "password reset". Web email often gets lumped into the bucket of "low value" accounts, so system designers pay little attention to the security of its authentication systems, but it often contains our most personal details. How many more high-profile account takeovers are we going to see before people take account security seriously? Come on folks, usernames and passwords just don't cut it anymore, and the problem isn't just limited to financial sites.

This incident also makes it abundantly clear that system designers need to take a holistic, layered approach to security. Palin's Yahoo account was...

Network Products Guide just announced we won the Reader Trust Award for Best in Multi- and Second-Factor Security. We're putting it in our trophy case right next to the Product Innovation Award in the Consumer Application or Service category. This is great for companies making decisions about two-factor authentication for their customers -- they might want to know the industry thinks highly of VIP.  It's also great for the team here at VeriSign working on VIP to see all their efforts to create a great product payoff with an award like this. So thank you, Network Products Guide, from the team at VeriSign. Here is the press release.

Posted by Fran Rosch, VP of VeriSign Identity and Authentication Solutions

Living in California, I have tried to become as environmentally conscious as possible given the grim reports on climate change and rising sea levels. The major steps I have taken along with my family include installing brand new energy efficient appliances and significantly more insulation as part of our home remodel. We also implement smaller initiatives such as maximum recycling, eating organic and locally grown products and composting as much as possible. I have even given up coffee and my favorite Irish oatmeal because of the carbon required to ship these products such long distances. We also try (but usually fail) to restrict ourselves to bicycle-only transportation on weekends.

I know there is lots disagreement on whether these small actions actually make an impact but they do make us feel better. I also travel extensively for business which blows my personal carbon foot...

Say you've got a web application that you develop, and you want to provide your users a stronger form of authentication beyond a simple username and password. Or your users have been asking about two factor authentication, but actually implementing it never moves up on the priority list because your boss thinks it's too complicated, will require months of coding, and a giant new server farm to handle the extra authentication. Or you've got a PayPal Security Key or VIP Security Card and want to enable your own site to use it.

Welcome to the VIP Developer Test Drive!

Today we announced that we're making the API to the VIP Authentication Service freely available to developers to try out on their own. No salespeople to call, new servers to install,...