After buying Waze in June 2013, Google has acquired Israeli security start-up SlickLogin, an early-stage start-up that has been working on a system to utilize sound to make logins easier.

The company, launched last year, uses a low-frequency sound generated by an app to log into web sites.

Users hold up their phones to a computer or laptop’s microphone and play the sound, and are able to log in to secure sites.

SlickLogin’s CEO, Or Zelig, said that the system was secure and that recording the sound from a phone wouldn’t do a hacker any good, because the sounds change depending on location, time of day,….. The system could be easily implemented on a web site using just a few lines of code, he said.

“Our product allows you to authenticate yourself just by placing your smartphone near your PC, no typing necessary,” the company’s website says.

“SlickLogin’s patented technology combines a seamless user experience with military-grade security, and will replace all authentication tokens that exist in the market today.”

The three company’s founders, who have been working together for the past six years, are all graduates of elite Israel Defense Forces (IDF) cyber-security units.

The last acquisition Google made in Israel was last June, when it paid nearly a billion dollars to buy traffic and mapping app Waze.

“We started SlickLogin because security measures had become overly complicated and annoying,” Google wrote on its website.

“They’re working on some great ideas that will make the internet safer for everyone. We couldn’t be more excited to join their efforts.”

source: EIPA. Yossi LEMPKOWICZ