Clef is Changing the Way We Log In

May 16, 2016

Clef is Changing the Way We Log In

This post was written by Samantha Whiting, digital intern at Asher Agency, with guidance from Ashley Motia.

Passwords can be a pain, but having a robust, difficult one decreases the likelihood of security breaches. How do you manage easy logins with high security? Technology like Clef has the answer.

Clef uses two-factor authentication (2FA)—a multi-layer form of security. The system requires not only a username and password (in the form of pin number or fingerprint) but also another form of security that only the user has access to. This second form of security within Clef is the ability to scan a moving barcode authentication using the camera on your phone.

Clef’s unique log-in is not backed up on a central database anywhere, making it the most secure 2FA available and almost impossible for hackers to attack. The Clef app requires a 4-digit pin or fingerprint identification before you are able to scan the moving barcode. This assures that your account is safe even if your phone is lost or stolen. Clef also allows you to log out from your phone. If you finish editing your website in your browser and forget to log off, just open the Clef app and click the “log out” button, no matter where you are.

In 2011, someone hacked Burger King’s Twitter and changed the bio to say that they had been sold to McDonald’s. The Twitter account’s name and logo was also changed to McDonald’s. This hack is one example of many that could have likely been prevented if the usernames and passwords were not stored on a central database–something that Clef has successfully worked around.

But how does it actually work?

I have experience with Clef on a WordPress site, where you simply install the plug-in and the app, set up an account, and you are ready to go. It’s kind of mind-blowing, actually.

When you go to log into your website, you are greeted with an animated barcode rather than the traditional “enter log-in and password.” Next, you open the app, enter your customized 4-digit pin number or fingerprint identification, and then you will be given an animated barcode on your phone screen as well. You hold your phone’s camera up to the computer screen and, like magic, you are logged into your WordPress site, just as if you had logged in via the old method, and you can begin making changes to your site.

Trade in your password list for two-factor authentication. The future is here, and it’s just a fingerprint away!