Monday 19 August 2019

FIDO2 Enabled Log In: Google Services using Your Fingerprint?

FIDO2 Enabled
Apparently to sign in to Google Services all it takes will be your fingerprint. Google plans on allowing users to sign in to their Google accounts using their fingerprint or the screen lock on their phones. Of course, this will be available to Android devices only that are maybe initially. Normally when trying to log into one’s account you need your user ID and password. But now all that is going to be done away with. Google has rolled out this new feature with its Pixel range of phones at present. Other Android enabled devices are not too far behind either. Google plans on rolling out this new feature on Android 7 devices and above shortly or in the next few days.

More Security with FIDO2 Enabled Log In: 


Google’s new feature has been years in coming with the tech giant collaborating with the FIDO Alliance and the W3C to get things on the road. And things are now finally on the road with this new feature coming to Pixel smartphones.

This new method of logging into your Google accounts is supposed to be more secure and of course simpler to use.

In Google’s blog they mention newer methods of technology surpassing the need of the traditional logging in using your password kinda thing. With this new method of logging in coupled with the tech giants already present automated protections; this method is pegged to be more secure and easy to use.

The Point in Using FIDO2 instead of Normal Android APIs: 


According to Google’s blog the whole idea in using FIDO2 standards as opposed to your average APIs on Android is that the biometric system made with FIDO2 standards are now used on the web too. This means that various other accounts can be synced using the same biometric on different platforms as opposed to making a separate one for different log ins.

Note to Users: 


While you fingerprint maybe used across all platforms, your fingerprint will never be sent to a Google server. It will remain on the device itself, this is according to a blog posted by Google. The only thing that will be sent to Google’s Server is cryptographic proof that the user has correctly scanned their fingerprint using biometrics.

This remains an essential part of the new feature built on FIDO2 standards.

For Further Security: 


If that’s not enough there’s always Titan Security Keys as well as Android phone’s own built in security key for added protection.

These security keys as well as the new method of logging in, using biometrics, are all based on FIDO2 standards. However, the two methods are meant for different things, while one is used for bootstrapping a new device to make sure it’s the same owner logging into their account but from a new phone, the other that is verification based on biometrics, is done after bootstrapping a device and is all used for verifying the identity of the already signed in user during step- up flows.

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