Apple, Google and Microsoft unite to speed up password termination

On the occasion of World Password Day, Apple, Google and Microsoft have made an important announcement regarding computer security. They will take responsibility Open Fido Standard Over the next year within their respective operating systems and browsers: iOS, macOS, Safari, Chrome, Android, Edge, Windows, etc.

The passwordless connection process will allow users to use their smartphone to authenticate themselves to all compatible apps. You will no longer need to create or enter a password at any time. the first.

How it works ?

You must start by choosing an authentication system on your smartphone to register. This can be based on a biometric process such as facial recognition, fingerprint, PIN code, or even drawing a pattern. Fido authentication will be unlocked when this system is activated on your smartphone. An encrypted key pair will then be generated. The first, private, the device will keep. The second, called public, will be stored by the service and associated with your account.

Then, every time you connect, a message signed with the private key will be sent to the service which will validate it with its public key, so you’ll be able to access the app.

If the Fido standard has not been widely adopted since then It was first released in 2014, is that there are some drawbacks that make the user journey still quite complex. You still need to create a password for registration. Another limitation, repeat the procedure on each new device.

More security

What’s new is that Fido’s authentication will be accessed regardless of the operating system or browser. And that it will be possible to register a new device via Bluetooth using another nearby terminal that already has the credentials.

So it will be possible to easily switch from an iPhone to an Android device, for example. Users can sign in on the Google Chrome browser running on Microsoft Windows, using a password on an Apple deviceshort for the edge Vasu Jakal, Microsoft Vice President of Security, Compliance, Identity and Privacy.

For the tech giants, there will only be advantages to adopting Fido. Besides its simplicity, it is also a more secure method of authentication. This will avoid some people using the same password for all of their very vulnerable services or groups. Fido finally makes it possible to fight phishing and avoid resorting to SMS authentication, which can be hacked.

sources: The GoogleAnd appleAnd the edge