Intel chips let Web sites check your computer's ID

Passwords can be phished, and carrying an extra key fob security device for accessing sensitive sites can be inconvenient. So Intel is putting authentication technology into its chips that will allow Web sites to verify that it's your PC logging into your online account and not an imposter or thief.

Intel Identity Protection Technology is being added to the chipsets of some Core and Core vPro processor-based PCs from HP, Lenovo, Sony and others, that began shipping to consumers this summer, according to Jennifer Gilburg, marketing director for the authentication technology unit.

This is two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security so that even if your password gets stolen whoever knows your secret code can't get into your account without offering more identification or proof of account ownership. In two-factor systems, the first part of the equation is what you know--password and username. The second factor is what you have--usually a hardware token, but in this case it's a token that's embedded in the chip.