Apple Joins the FIDO Alliance to Help Develop and Promote Authentication Standards

Apple has joined the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, an open industry association whose mission is to develop and promote stronger authentication standards and help reduce the world's over-reliance on passwords.

fido alliance
Apple joins existing members Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and others in a common goal to secure online connections and support the adoption of the U2F authentication standard, which the alliance hosts.

Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) is an open standard that strengthens and simplifies two-factor authentication (2FA) using specialized USB or near-field communication (NFC) devices based on similar security technology found in smart cards. U2F security keys can be used as an additional method of two-step verification in online services that support the U2F protocol, such as Google, Dropbox, and Facebook.

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera browsers natively support U2F. With iOS 13.3, Apple's Safari also supports FIDO2-compliant physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey.

With Safari support, the YubiKey 5Ci is a useful tool that can be more convenient than software-based two-factor authentication because there's no need to enter a security code -- you simply plug it in to an iPhone or Mac (there's also a USB-C connector) to authenticate. Support for FIDO2-compliant USB security keys using WebAuthn was previously added to Safari 13 in macOS.

FIDO was founded in 2013 by a group including Lenovo and Paypal to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication. MacGeneration was first to spot Apple's logo added to the list of board members.

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Top Rated Comments

Jsfrederick Avatar
69 months ago



FIDO is a second factor, not a replacement for the first factor (password).
Actually, FIDO2 is single factor as well.

It supports the following methods:

* Single Factor - Username + FIDO2 Credential
* Second Factor - Username + Password + FIDO2 Credential
* Passwordless Single Factor - FIDO2 Resident Key Credential
* Passwordless MFA - FIDO2 Resident Key Credential + PIN
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
needsomecoffee Avatar
69 months ago
Been pressing my bank to do this for years (as have many other customers - there is a Q/A thread on this topic many pages long at their site). Maybe this will help convince them. Why force reliance on passwords when FIDO is an option ?? The bank is so progressive and great, yet fails so badly here.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nvmls Avatar
69 months ago

How about a basic connector standard? We're sick of USB-A, USB-C, Lightning port and dongle roulette.
Stockholders wouldn't want that.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Velin Avatar
69 months ago
Stockholders wouldn't want that.
I wish they simply would stick with Lightning ports and connectors on iPhones and iPads, more robust than USB-C.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nylonsteel Avatar
69 months ago
too many passwords - the bane of modern computing
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
69 months ago
As long as the outcome is something that (1) I need to have only once and can use safely with any device I might use, (2) that is convenient for me to take anywhere where a computer/phone could be that I use, and (3) that I and only I can disable from anywhere.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)