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.

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.

Tag: Apple security
This article, “Apple Joins the FIDO Alliance to Help Develop and Promote Authentication Standards” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumors-All?d=6W8y8wAjSf4 MacRumors-All?d=qj6IDK7rITs

Related posts

Latest posts

OnePlus’ new health lab is a big step for its wellness technology

OnePlus's new health lab in China is officially open.

I can’t decide if the Garmin Instinct 3 is a winner or a flop

After a week with the Instinct 3, I'm struggling to decide if I should be content with more of the

Nvidia might never top the RTX 4090

Nvidia's RTX 4090 stands as a crowning achievement for Team Green, and it might never be dethroned again.

Leaked OnePlus timeline suggests at least four new devices this year

A newly leaked roadmap of 2025 OnePlus releases suggests at least four new devices this year, not including the OnePlus Open 2.

Google just opened the door for people to do evil with AI

Don't Be Evil has flown the coop for good.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s S Pen gets wonky with magnetic accessories on

The Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen might not work properly with magnetic cases attached.

Gurman: New iPhone SE Coming ‘This Week’

Apple plans to announce a new iPhone SE this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.In his Power On newsletter today,

Gurman: New iPhone SE Coming ‘This Week’

Apple plans to announce a new iPhone SE this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.In his Power On newsletter today,

Valentine’s Day Deals: Get All-Time Low Prices on AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and More

We're less than one week away from Valentine's Day, which falls on Friday, February 14, this year. Similar to years

Valentine’s Day Deals: Get All-Time Low Prices on AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and More

We're less than one week away from Valentine's Day, which falls on Friday, February 14, this year. Similar to years