Facebook Introduces One-Time Passwords

angry tapir writes "Worried about logging into Facebook from a strange computer? There's now a way to get into the popular social network without entering your regular Facebook password. It's called a temporary password. To use it, users must list their mobile phone numbers with their Facebook accounts. They can then text a number from their phones and Facebook sends back a temporary password that is good for 20 minutes. The service will be available worldwide in the next few weeks."

Re:Real advantage over SSL?

[Rijnzael]

I don't think this is an attempt to prevent interception of passwords in transit over the network; I believe it's an attempt to prevent keyloggers or other nefarious software/hardware on a machine from impacting the user's privacy.

Re:Possibly a good move

[Darkness404]

Public labs at a university. While I have a hard time thinking of any time that I -need- to log into Facebook and can't just use, say, a smartphone app. There are a lot of occasions where in university you realize that there is something you need to do online (such as quickly type and turn in a paper you just remembered is due in 2 hours) but you can't trust the security of a lab computer (its pretty easy to install hardware keyloggers that just go between the PS2 or USB port and capture keystrokes) so you end up logging into an unsecured machine.

Re:Real advantage over SSL?

[bball99]

won't matter if you use a throwaway phone - all my phones are $4.88 from Dollar General or the local FYE

Improving in the wrong direction...

[Haedrian]

When people want more security on their facebook, they usually mean protection from Facebook and other corporations - not passwords themselves.

How about fixing the lack of privacy instead?

We do. But it doesn't affect that.

[Anonymous Coward]

The amount of piracy has little to do with how often people go to the movies. You pirate a movie because you are bored or procrastinating and don't know what else to do. You go to a movie theatre for the sake of going there: It is an excuse to see your friends, eat somewhere nice, etc... Or just generally get out of the house.

Piracy could theoretically have impact on movie renting, etc... If there was a decent legal service to compete with piracy. (IE: a service to which you could log on, pay a couple of euros and get to watch the movie in good resolution... I doubt I would be bothered to fire up bittorrent just to save a few euros. But as far as I know, such services aren't available here)

Re:Great idea.

[dillpick6]

What happens when your phone gets stolen? I wouldn't them to have my phone and access to things like my email and facebook, let alone my credit cards and bank accounts. This seems even more risky considering the chance most smart phones could be hacked or some app on the phone turns out to be malicious.

Re:Real advantage over SSL?

[Anonymous Coward]

What good does my cell number do Facebook? Where I am, it's illegal for a business to make unsolicited calls to a personal cell phone, what else would someone want my cell number for?