Abstract: A technique provides a secret to authenticate a user. The technique involves storing, by processing circuitry, an initial secret in local memory. The technique further involves receiving, by the processing circuitry, a release command after the initial secret is stored in the local memory. The technique further involves, in response to the release command and based on the initial secret, outputting a released secret through an audio jack which is coupled to the processing circuitry. With such a technique, the secret is only exposed in response to user actuation thus providing improved security against an attacker vis-à-vis a conventional authentication token which constantly generates and outputs a series of one-time use passcodes (OTPs) on a display based on a seed stored in memory.

Abstract: A technique of providing a cryptographic service on a computer having a processor includes deploying an executable cryptographic agent set on the computer, each executable cryptographic agent from the executable cryptographic agent set being a set of instructions executed on the processor. The technique also includes activating an executable cryptographic agent on the computer, each executable cryptographic agent being constructed and arranged to generate cryptographic codes which change over time in response to activation of the agent. The technique further includes providing, to an application running on the computer, access to the executable cryptographic agent through a Personal Computer/Smart Card (PC/SC) interface of the computer.