How It Works

Frequently Asked Questions

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• Q: Why is username and password not sufficient?

  A: Many passwords are easy to guess. “123456” is consistently one of the most popular passwords on the web according to WSJ.com's analysis of hacked gawker.com login ID's. Even sophisticated passwords can be phished. 31,000 new phishing sites surface every month, and over 5 million users were victims of phishing scams in 2008. Yet, many users protect their account with only a username and password.

• Q: What is two-factor authentication?

  A:Two-factor authentication combines something you know – username and password – with something you have – a credential like a card or a token.

• Q: Is this a static number generated by the CPU?

  A:It is neither static, nor generated by the CPU. The algorithm that belongs to the security vendor protecting the website or application and its customers actually runs on the chipset (not the CPU) in an area designed only for signed code from Intel called the Management Engine.

• Q: So how do I implement this to protect my website or application?

  A: Intel is working with a variety of third party ISVs that can offer you either a cloud based or on-premises solution for protecting your employees, vendors, or customers. See who we are partnering with >

• Q: Will this work on my old home PC?

  A: The embedded token is new on select 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ Processor-based PCs.

• Q: If I use Intel® IPT and associate it with my online bank account for example, is this the only PC I can use from now on to check my account?

  A: NO! Using your new PC with Intel® IPT and opting in for this protection gives you the easiest to use one-time-password or OTP solution for your online activities, but it is not your only method to log into your account. Each website or application that uses the technology will have its own way of making sure it is really you when you come from a different device. First of all, it is often possible to associate more than one device with your account (your work PC and your home PC, for example). Secondly, since this technology has been around for years, many solutions have been developed to let you log in from a new or unknown location. You may be prompted with a few more security questions, an automated call to your cell phone, or an additional OTP token may be emailed to you. Regardless of the method, you will still be able to access your online OTP protected accounts from a variety of PCs or devices, but the primary device that your register will provide what we believe is the easiest to use scenario with the embedded token.

• Q: What happens if someone steals my PC, can they get into all my on-line accounts with IPT?

  A: Security is always best accomplished with a layered approach. Intel® IPT is one such layer, but not the entire solution. In the unfortunate event that your PC is apprehended by a thief, they would also have to know your PC boot-up password, your Windows* password, where you have accounts, your account username, and your account password to gain access to your account. While not impossible, we believe this is a higher bar than simply a password alone. Intel® IPT is more specifically designed to help against remote takeover of your account (not from you own PC). This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but it is these types of threats (including phishing) for which Intel's solution adds an extra layer of security.