Method and apparatus for enabling authentication of on-line communications

An apparatus comprising:

• a processing device configured to:
• associate a message code with a user identifier;
• receive the user identifier from a user, wherein the receiving occurs after the associating the message code with the user identifier;
• determine, using a hardware processor, that the user identifier is associated with the message code, wherein the determining occurs after the receiving the user identifier;
• present the message code to the user based at least partially on the determining that the user identifier is associated with the message code;
• receive a user authentication from the user after presenting the message code to the user;
• determine that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code;
• and
• provide the user with access to a secured resource based on the determining that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code.

A method comprising:

• receiving information indicating that a user has selected a message code;
• receiving information indicating that the user wishes to access a secure resource;
• presenting the message code to the user;
• receiving information indicating that the user has verified that the message code presented to the user matches the message code selected by the user;
• providing the user with access to the secure resource based at least partially on the receiving the information indicating that the user has verified that the message code presented to the user matches the message code selected by the user;
• receiving a user authentication from the user after presenting the message code to the user;
• determining that the received user authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code;
• and
• providing the user with access to a secured resource based on the determining that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code.