Besides convenience, password-free authentication has high requirements for reliability and data security. That brings us to the FIDO coalition that wants to kill passwords.
Oct 10, 2022| Besides convenience, password-free authentication has high requirements for reliability and data security. That brings us to the FIDO coalition that wants to kill passwords.
The FIDO Alliance was founded in July 2012 to address the issue of mandatory authentication of device interactivity and users facing a large number of complex user names and passwords. Its members include Apple, Google, Microsoft, blackberry, PayPal, Lenovo and other technology giants. FIDO's passpass-free standard relies on a device's biometric scanner or master PIN to authenticate users locally on the device, eliminating the need to transfer data to a network server.
In its latest announcement, FIDO has introduced two important new features:
1. Allow users to automatically access FIDO login certificates (or "keys") on multiple devices, including new devices, without having to re-register each account;
2. Allow users to use FIDO authentication on mobile devices to log into apps or websites from nearby devices, regardless of which OS platform or browser those devices are running.
The first addresses the "chicken and egg" paradox of the verification process, which is widespread in two-step verification, where users need to pre-register on a device to go further. The second item provides better generality, aiming at the problem that different network platforms and apps do not communicate with each other in authentication methods.
Apple, Google and Microsoft platforms expect the new features to roll out over the next year. The league has no timeline for when a specific no-secret plan will be in place.
