Switchback? For the worst? Aww Microsoft would never compromise our security for the sake of convenience or their profit line right?

Microsoft has shelved plans to include native support for RSA’s SecurID tokens in Windows Vista, even though the company has been trialling the technology for almost two years.

In February 2004, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced that Windows would be able to support easy integration with RSA Security’s ubiquitous SecurID tokens, which meant that enterprises would find it far easier to deploy a two-factor authentication system for logging on to networks and applications.

However, almost two years after the SecurID beta programme kicked off, the chief executive of RSA Security Art Coviello has revealed that Windows Vista will not natively support the technology.

Yeah, you read it right, Vista will not support SecurID. Shame really it opened up a whole load of new capabilities.

Microsoft had said they would include the ability to support all kinds of One Time Password (OTP) and challenge response type authentication in Vista but they were unable to get it in with all the other issues they have had — so it is going to take longer

Seems like they may retrofit it some time in the future.

Source: Zdnet