Google Acquires Israeli Security Startup SlickLogin 55
Fnord666 writes "SlickLogin, an Israeli startup and developer of smart identification technology through user smartphones has been acquired by Google for several million (the official transaction amount remains undisclosed). SlickLogin was founded under a year ago by Or Zelig, Eran Galili and Ori Kabeli. The company first unveiled its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt held last September. The company has yet to launch their product."
Re: (Score:2)
Really ...? At least have the decency to put on your white hood first.
Interesting (Score:2)
Re:Interesting (Score:4, Informative)
Seems mostly aimed at Two Factor Authentication, not dissimilar to the way Google Authenticator [google.com] works without having to type anything into your phone.
Currently Google's 2FA uses you phone as a synced clock displaying numbers which you have to key in to your
computer to log in.
These guys revers that and you computer sends a QR code or a sound that your Cellphone authenticates and sends
a response back through the network, via a separate path (tcp connection or sms message).
Its pretty clever, as long as its paired with something else only you would know. It has the same problems
that Google's current two factor has, namely that it is game over if someone steals your phone.
I suspect they bought them more for the patents than anything else.
Re: (Score:2)
It has the same problems that Google's current two factor has, namely that it is game over if someone steals your phone.
Not really, Google Authenticator allows you to switch to another phone or disable it so that codes from the old phone don't work. I assume the same would apply to SlickLogin.
Re: (Score:2)
It has the same problems that Google's current two factor has, namely that it is game over if someone steals your phone.
Not really, Google Authenticator allows you to switch to another phone or disable it so that codes from the old phone don't work. I assume the same would apply to SlickLogin.
In addition, if your phone is encrypted (and therefore password-protected), the thief is going to find it nearly impossible to get to the code even before you disable it.
Re: (Score:2)
// personal opinion of mine, not from my employer.
The thief will steal your phone and you. Didn't you read the relevant xkcd strip?
If the thief is going to steal me, my phone and my accounts are the least of my worries.
The phone makes access to your account a lot faster and simpler. I don't use that for my bank for that specific reason.
I don't know what your bank does, but with most 2FA systems that's not the case. The thief needs your phone and also your password, so 2FA actually makes access to your account a little bit more tedious over a password alone... but nearly impossible for someone who doesn't have both.
As an aside, if my bank already provides that, how come Google bought a product which didn't launch yet? Probably for the patents, but even so...
Google already offers 2FA for its accounts, too. They bought this company presumably because the company's new approach is better in some wa
The Big, Bad Wolf (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:1)
Use this and Google will be able to identify and tie your id with both your computer and your smartphone ... It's all about whoring the online you to their advertisers.
That's all I need to know to make sure I never ever use this or anything like it.
I have had quite enough of being spied on. I very much doubt I am alone in having that
opinion.
Thanks for your insight.
Re:The Big, Bad Wolf (Score:5, Informative)
Use this and Google will be able to identify and tie your id with both your computer and your smartphone .
Yeah, well, Two Factor Authentication already used by Google already KNOWS the computer you are using, and the PHONE you are
using.
This adds no more information than you've already given them for Two Factor Authentication.
Re: (Score:3)
Use this and Google will be able to identify and tie your id with both your computer and your smartphone .
Yeah, well, Two Factor Authentication already used by Google already KNOWS the computer you are using, and the PHONE you are using.
This adds no more information than you've already given them for Two Factor Authentication.
Or, for that matter, by just logging into Google on both your phone and your computer.
Re: (Score:2)
Its all time based. You get you your first sms from google, and that sets up the sequence of numbers that are calculated based on that seed and the current time.
I if have two phones, or move your Sim to a different phone, you have to set that up as well. But the weird thing is both phones will show different sequences, but either sequence will work to authenticate.
But use your friend's phone, it won't work. So it sounds to me that Google is keeping one timer for each authorized phone for your google ac
Re: (Score:3)
Its all time based. You get you your first sms from google, and that sets up the sequence of numbers that are calculated based on that seed and the current time.
I if have two phones, or move your Sim to a different phone, you have to set that up as well. But the weird thing is both phones will show different sequences, but either sequence will work to authenticate.
But use your friend's phone, it won't work. So it sounds to me that Google is keeping one timer for each authorized phone for your google account. So I thinks they CAN know which device you authenticate with.
You're partially right: Google's two-factor authentication service has two independent means of authenticating you:
1. You enter a code produced by the code generating app.
2a. They send an SMS to a phone number you've registered with them ahead of time, and you enter the code.
2b. They call a phone number you've registered with them ahead of time and a text-to-speech robot reads you a code, which you enter.
Mode #1 does not require (and in fact cannot use) SMS to setup -- rather, they show you a QR code contai
Is Israel the only middle-east starter-up? (Score:4, Interesting)
Why every time one of the big "monsters" of technology acquires a start-up is it from Israel?
Are the big technology players of the world biased?
Why we never read about Google buying a start-up from Egypt or Apple buying a start-up from Lebanon or Facebook buying some Jordanian start-up?
Are the Israelis the only people interested in technology in the middle-east? Is that a demographic matter?
Where are the contributions of the other middle-east countries in the areas of reearch and technology?
Re: (Score:1, Interesting)
Where are the contributions of the other middle-east countries in the areas of reearch and technology?
Most of the contributions were blown up by Islamic fundamentalists long ago. But don't fret, many middle-eastern countries remain on the forefront of IED technology.
Re: (Score:2)
What are you talking about?
The last purchase Google made was from Britain.
Before that was Nest, a Palo Alto CA company.
This page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L... [wikipedia.org] lists all the major acquisitions Google has made.
I only count 4 on the list from Israel. They buy where you find the tech that you need, and which has a body of law that allows you to acquire it cleanly with no future arguments.
I suspect you are really asking why some countries never produce much of technical value/interest to Google, rather than
Re: (Score:2)
The OP mentioned Middle Eastern countries. I didn't know that the UK and California were in the Middle East.
Re: (Score:2)
The OP said
Why every time one of the big "monsters" of technology acquires a start-up is it from Israel?
I answered that question.
Re: (Score:2)
Because the Mossad totally rocks. That's why they never got caught for 9-1@h&8%.l.
n o
c a r r i e r
Re: (Score:2)
Read the title. It's the thin box above the message body and below your UID.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
People in most other countries in the Middle East tend to be too preoccupied with killing one another (only occasionally remembering to surface to denounce the "Zionist Entity") So they don't have time for frivolous things like, you know, progress or betterment of humanity.
Re: (Score:3)
Israel has virtually no natural resources to exploit. So they had to build their economy on other things.
From Wikipedia-
Science and technology in Israel is one of the country's most highly developed and industrialized sectors. The percentage of Israelis engaged in scientific and technological inquiry, and the amount spent on research and development (R&D) in relation to gross domestic product (GDP), is amongst the highest in the world.[72] Israel ranks fourth in the world in scientific activity, as mea
Re: (Score:1)
Are the Israelis the only people interested in technology in the middle-east?
Not necessarliy big in tech, but Israel _are_ big in security.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
What are you a small child that believes if he sticks his fingers in his ears and shouts "Not Listening!" loud enough then suddenly the world will change to be the way he likes it? The state of Israel exists and it has an amazing culture, a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an army capable of defending it. What there is not ,is a Palestinian Arab state. And, if the Palestinian Arabs do not start negotiating responsibly, they will never get one.
Re: (Score:2)
What are you a small child that believes if he sticks his fingers in his ears and shouts "Not Listening!" loud enough then suddenly the world will change to be the way he likes it?
Perhaps he grew up believing that violence begets violence, and that the forcible creation of a state and placing a people who were never more than an ethnic minority in a region in a position of power inside of it is a blatant attempt to destabilize the region so as not to have to deal with the muzzies.
Re: (Score:1)
You mean the democratic state where all the citizens regardless of whether they are Jews, Druzim, Christian Arabs, Muslim Arabs, Muslim Bedouins and Christian Copts all have equal rights, full protection under the law, vote in the elections, can serve as politicians in the parliament, judges in the supreme court, work as doctors in the hospital, teachers in the schools, professors in the university, etc?
Yeah, it sounds really racist to me.
How about checking your facts before spouting off at the mouth?
Oy vey, you filthy goyim! (Score:2)
When will you filthy goyim realize that it is us chosen who will dominate in the tech sector? We will always out compete you. Whenever a business is sold, or a deal goes down that is over a $1 million, you can be sure that we have our hands involved in the affair.
Why do you goyim even bother trying? You'll never make it. Just give up. G-d is only on our side.
We even run Dice.
Boycott Israel (Score:2)
Why Google Acquires SlickLogin ? (Score:1)