The Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) Alliance and Bluetooth Special Interest Group today announced plans to make it possible for smartphones to serve as digital keys in two-factor authentication.
FIDO plans to contribute Universal Second Factor (U2F) authentication specifications over Bluetooth Smart. Many two-factor authentication methods rely on the “something you have and something you know” idea.
The “something you have” is generally a USB dongle, and the “something you know” is generally a standard password. Requiring both to unlock access to work computers or other sensitive data is inherently more secure than just a password.
The idea behind FIDO’s partnership with the Bluetooth SIG is to let smartphones become the “something you have,” using the security found in Bluetooth Smart.
The FIDO Alliance didn’t say when it expects the technology to be finalized.
