Internet service provider America Online (AOL) has tightened security for customers looking to further protect email accounts from identity and financial theft.

In addition to password sign-in, AOL today released PassCode, a secondary, subscription based layer of security, which uses a key ring sized device to generate a unique six digit code every 60 seconds.

Customers wanting to sign up to the service will have to pay $9.95 for the device, based on RSA Security's SecureID product, plus a monthly subscription of $1.95.

'Many of our members use their accounts for business purposes, financial transactions or other sensitive activities,' said Ned Brody, AOL's senior vice president for premium services.

'AOL PassCode is like adding a deadbolt to your AOL account by automatically creating a new secondary password every 60 seconds.'

AOL members using PassCode will enter their normal user ID and password details, followed by the RSA Security generated code, to add two-factor authentication to their account.

'The emergence of new and more pervasive online threats and an increase in what consumers can and want to do are requiring better ways to protect personal information online,' said Art Coviello, president and chief executive at RSA Security.

Two-factor authentication is already used by thousands of businesses worldwide to authenticate staff accessing the network remotely, but AOL claim to be the first major ISP to offer the service commercially.

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