People are always on social media nowadays and they post everything about them on a daily basis. Most of the time, they fear that their information could possibly be stolen. This is why most netizens crave for additional security for their online accounts and are often practicing high-end security measures. For Facebook, this usually means having a two-tier login security, the first being your regular password, and the second being another code when your account is accessed by a new device. This means that hackers cannot enter your account even if they know your password, if they don’t have your phone.
Source: Facebook
Now, Facebook is adding more to the game with the introduction of the Security Key. People often get security codes from a text message or SMS or through the Facebook app on their mobile device. While that’s good and all, SMS is not always reliable and people won’t always have a phone back-up available. That is why the Facebook Security Team is now launching a physical security key to further protect your account.
Source: Facebook
Using this key, you’ll only need to connect a physical hardware device on the USB slot of your computer. These keys can be acquired through companies like Yubico, while the keys itself support the Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) standard hosted by the FIDO Alliance. The use of these keys provide a better security option when using a two-factor security approach. Firstly, they offer faster login as you’ll only need to tap the key to get your login done. Secondly, the key itself is not exclusively for Facebook, you can use it for other accounts such as Dropbox, GitHub, and others who support U2F. And lastly, you won’t have to fear phishing, as the device needs to be plugged in the computer for it to function and unlock your account.
Currently, the technology is only limited to some devices and does not support the Facebook App. If your device is up-to-date with Chrome and Google Authenticator is present, you can use an NFC-able device for your security key.
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