Bedford, MA— E*TRADE FINANCIAL today announced that it will be offering the industry’s leading strong authentication security to retail customers. The E*TRADE CompleteTM Security System with Digital Security ID is based on RSA SecurID strong authentication technology from RSA Security Inc., and will be available in Q2 2005.

E*TRADE FINANCIAL’s U.S.-based retail clients will benefit from an optional added layer of protection that serves to harden the existing security infrastructure. The customer will continue to use the established User ID and password, and then enter a random six-digit code—generated by the authentication token—that changes every 60 seconds. This will help to prevent unintended or unauthorized access to a user’s account.

RSA SecurID technology is used by more than 15 million employees and customers of thousands of businesses worldwide, including many financial institutions and technology companies. America Online broke new ground in September 2004 by offering the solution—AOLTM PassCode—to its broad customer base, and E*TRADE FINANCIAL’s move is another significant step-forward.

"As users manage increasing aspects of their lives online, phishers and other fraudsters are taking advantage of the Internet’s largely password-based security structure," said Art Coviello, president and chief executive officer at RSA Security. "Key industry figures and organizations are calling for more robust methods of authentication in response to these threats, and E*TRADE FINANCIAL is to be applauded for offering its customers a simple and secure method to help safeguard their identities and assets."

For more information, please go to www.etrade.com/onlinesecurity, or read the full press release here.