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Advantages:

  • Mature technology
  • Compatible with a large number of applications
  • Easy to carry
  • Strong second factor
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Disadvantages:

  • Easily lost and/or forgotten
  • Medium/high time and effort to deploy and maintain
  • Comparatively medium/high cost of ownership / deployment though purchase costs are declining. 
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Who Is Using It (this is just a sample list):

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Advantages:

  • Comparatively lower cost of ownership / deployment
  • Compatible with a large number of applications
  • Easier to deploy than a hardware token
  • Strong second factor but not as strong as hardware token
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Disadvantages:

  • Some argue that a software token can be copied so they're not a true version of "something you have"
  • Can be time consuming to maintain
  • Software tokens stored on-devices are less secure than software tokens stored off-devices (e.g., hard tokens)
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Who Is Using It (this is just a sample list):

3. Smart Cards

A pocket-sized card, similar to credit card, with embedded integrated circuits that communicate with external devices via a card reader.

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Advantages:

  • Easy to carry
  • Can be tied to physical security strategy (ID Badge)
  • Strong second factor with use of PIN
  • Use of encryption, therefore the information is more secure.
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Disadvantages:

  • Cards can be lost or stolen
  • Comparatively medium / high cost of ownership / deployment
  • Smartcards need card readers
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Who Is Using It (this is just a sample list):

4. Biometrics

The use of intrinsic physiological and behavioral characteristics to authenticate a particular individual. Most biometric-based authentication follows a four-step process:

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