Buliding a UbAMS Model from the Literary Review Dissertation

Buliding a UbAMS Model from the Literary Review - Dissertation Example Each one of these aspects has a different degree of security related to it. UbAMS will follow a security scheme of Low-Medium-High; referring to low security for ownership-based factors, medium security for knowledge-based factors while high security for inherence-based factors. 2.2.1 Ownership-based factors The ownership-based factors of security are the details that are possessed by the owner himself. It is considered to be something that is physically given by the concerned authorities that will facilitate the access to the desired system. However, the level of security for ownership-based factors is considered to be ‘low’ since the physical token can be stolen or misplaced. It includes physical objects that can be used by intruders to gain unauthorized access. A better approach is to use these factors as a part of the authentication process that authorizes the person for example the physical token might have to be used with the combination of a knowledge based factor . These are usually referred to as tokens. Three types of tokens have been explained be: 2.2.1.1 Mobile device The mobile device is also referred to as the USB token device. This device is very small as it is almost the size of a key. The size makes it accessible and reduces the need to remember any credentials. This aspect can save a company significant amount of expense that would otherwise be spent in buying required software or hardware for the employees [5]. The USB device is recognized by the system and the second part of the authentication process commences i.e. the entry of the password. These devices are very hard to duplicate and serve as secure mediums to store sensitive information like private keys, security certificates etc [3]. The following figure shows the image of a USB token device: Figure 1: USB token device [4] Ease of Use It has to be inserted in any USB port of the system; this aspect increases its usability since no special software or hardware is required to avail this technology. Effectiveness This technique proves to be effective if it is accompanied with a knowledge-based factor. 2.2.1.2 Smart Card Smart card resembles a credit card and has a microprocessor embedded in it that stores and processes data [6]. The presence of the microprocessor makes the device intelligent enough to be handle complex authentication mechanisms. It is recognized by the system through a card reader. Upon the verification of the device by the card reader, the user is asked to enter the required password to gain access to the required system. These devices are also hard to duplicate and prove to be good sources for storing information and sensitive data. Tamper resistance techniques are used to protect the smart cards from any malicious usage [8]. Ease of Use A reliable card reader is necessary to be connected with the user’s system; this might prove to be an overhead for the company in terms of finances. Effectiveness As stated earlier, ownership ba sed factors need to have a combination with knowledge based factor since its separate use provides low security for the access management system. 2.2.1.3 Security Token Security token is also referred to as a password generating token. It generates a unique pass-code; it is a password that is used by the user one time as it is