Abstract: This invention relates to the use of, either a) common, non-proprietary, standard storage devices or b) storage devices with additional novel feature extensions, as a unique and secure authentication device to supplement the current password based authentication schemes. There are many personal devices with storage like Compact Flash or CF cards, Secure Digital of SD cards, Memory Stick, USB Flash hard drives, ipods, PDA's, Cell-phones or even digital Cameras in the market. They all have some kind of storage media (mostly flash media) and can be connected to networked computing devices to access the data stored in them. If these storage devices can be uniquely identified and related to the owner, then a lot of on-line applications like commercial transactions, secure access of on-line private data like bank account information, secure remote login into company's intranet etc., can get a very vital additional level of physical authentication (i.e. something you have in addition to something you know).