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Since 2017, Facebook has worked with security keys on desktop. Now, users on iOS and Android will be able to use a physical key to log in to their account.
Facebook said Thursday that it will finally add support for physical security keys on mobile devices. Since 2017, Facebook has worked with security keys on desktops. Now, users on iOS and Android will be able to use a physical key to log in to their accounts.
A security key is a piece of hardware that makes a one-time, encrypted security code that can be used in two-factor authentication (2FA) systems. Modern security keys work with a wide range of hardware formats, such as USB-A and USB-C, Lightning for iPhone users, and even Bluetooth.
Most of the time, 2FA security codes are sent to a user’s phone via an SMS text message. But security keys use hardware-based authentication, which means that they need a second form of identification which is a physical device that is plugged into a device.
People think that security keys are better at stopping phishing attacks and data breaches than 2FA via SMS because even if someone’s login credentials are stolen, they can’t get into their account without that physical key.
Facebook said that in the next year, in addition to adding support for security keys on mobile, it also plans to make its Facebook Protect programme available all over the world and add more groups than just political campaigns and candidates. In 2019, the social media giant Facebook released Facebook Protect in the US.
Facebook doesn’t make its own security keys, but it encourages users to buy them from vendors directly.
“Since 2017, we’ve been encouraging politicians, public figures, journalists, and people who fight for human rights, who are likely to be targeted by bad hackers,” Facebook said in a blog post. “We strongly suggest that everyone, no matter what device they use, think about adding physical security keys to their accounts to make them safer.”
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