PayPal / eBay Security Key Dongle

[fos]

http://linuxagora.com/vbforum/images/uploads/paypalkey.jpg

I received my Paypal / eBay security key dongle in the mail today. It is about the size of a usb flash drive and has a window big enough to display six digits. When you push the only button, it displays a six digit code for thirty seconds. Each time you press the button, it displays a different code for thirty seconds.

It is activated on ebay and paypal but logging in on the security key page and then entering the keys serial number and then typing in tow successive key codes.

Once actvated you must have a key code to perform a transaction. The current 30 second key code is added to the end of you normal password each time you log in or make a transaction.

I'm guessing here but, the unit must (maybe?) receive a sinchronization signal from GPS to keep it locked up with the ebay / paypal system. Otherwise the central unit clock would ultimately be on a different time due to drift of the remote unit. I expect that the battery life would be several years.

Comments?

It is worth $5 bucks for the additional security. According to paypal, the unit may be more widely used over the internet soon. It is banded by Verisign and manufactured in China. (Isn't everything?)

Jeff

[fos]

It has been two days....

The security key is already broken. It will not display digits. It never left my desk. I went to use it this morning - no display....


I went through the security questions to disable the feature on my account.

I sent an email to PayPal. No response yet.

fos

[fos]

After sitting on hold for 20 minutes, I was told to discard the broken key and order a new one. That would be another $5! I think I'll pass.

Don't bother trying out PayPals security dongle. They need to work out the bugs.

fos :mad:

[fos]

Well, since I had to eat the $5, I thought it would be worth a look inside the dongle. It had a Panasonic CR2032 3 volt battery. It was reading slightly less than 2 volts so I guess the battery was dead. It looks old and tarnished. There is a single chip embedded in a blob of epoxy, what looks like a clock crystal in a cylindrical case held in place by a dollop of glue, one surface mount transistor, and about a half dozen surface mount discrete components, probably resistors and capacitors.

I unscrewed the board and looked underneath. It is dated October 30, 2006. The display is held in place by the case. Since it is a cmos display, it receives its signal through the in line rubber mounting strips that have the carbon channels embedded within that mate up to the display connectors. I have seen that before in hand held instruments I used to repair. It is reliable as long as it doesn't get wet or contaminated with salty sweat or water.

I don't see anything that looks like an antenna, either overt or built into the board circuit. Maybe my GPS guess was off base. I guess with a 30 minute security code window, it would probably stay in sync long enough to wear out the battery, which was only two days in my case. :)

The battery is serviceable, it slides out of the holder. A new battery would cost about half what a new unit would cost and it may lose its programming when you change the battery. There are ten labeled pads on the board probably for programming access.

A good idea but shipping with a dead battery and having no replacement system in place is poor customer service. I guess PayPal is pretty secure in their monopoly.

fos