Proteg is an innovative software solution that allows users to secure their personal or notebook computers by preventing unauthorized access. It fortifies the existing Windows login mechanism by binding the user account to an ubiquitous hardware device, a portable USB storage device (USB Key, USB flash drive, thumbdrive). An additional hardware component becomes compulsory in order to login to the computer instead of relying solely on the conventional username and password pair. Due to the increasing threats, passwords - the way most people access their computers today - can no longer keep pace with the security requirements of today?s challenging computing world. Over the years the password technique has not kept up with new technologies and methods used by hackers. One can easily gain access to the latest hacking program, many freely available over the Internet, enabling unauthorized access to valuable information resources which reside in our computer. Unauthorized access also means invasion of our privacy. To better secure our information assets, Proteg provides a sophisticated technique for user identification and authentication to improve on passwords. This technique can certainly offer much greater security than passwords as this hardware based system (commonly known as two-factor authentication system) creates a physical link between a user and his identity. In a two-factor authentication system like Proteg, the user is required to present the physical hardware (something the user has) and provide the correct password (something the user knows) that corresponds to the said hardware in order to gain legitimate access to the system. Although smart cards and one-time password generator devices can be very effective in providing two-factor authentication, they are typically too expensive, difficult to manage and inflexible. Despite the enhanced level of security provided, these technologies come at high costs, much of which is due to added hardware component.

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