Consumers and companies today rely on the Internet to perform
all manner of tasks, from conducting business, to buying and
selling personal items to managing their lives, friendships and
family interactions. However, working and living online exposes
everyone to successive waves of hacks, scams, and other digital
exploits – threats unimagined only a few years ago. Enterprise
IT and corporate management are spending increasing time,
energy, and funds on securing digital and physical assets with
technology of growing complexity. Strong encryption, multifactor
biometrics, intrusion detection, anti-malware software and other
advanced security measures provide necessary protection against
a range of threats, but a simple truth remains: Verification
before a transaction (or a security breach) occurs is always
cheaper and more effective than attempting to remedy the
consequences of failing to do so. Internet security today is
built on a fragile combination of robust transport
authentication mechanisms like SSL and S