Google’s in-house security key is now available to anyone who wants one

By Russell Brandom@russellbrandom Aug 30, 2018, 4:00am EDT

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/30/17797338/google-titan-security-key-2fa-token-store-sale

Google’s Titan Security Key is finally available to anyone who wants one. The 
two-factor token went live today in the Google store, with a full kit available 
for $50, shipping immediately. The kits include a USB key, a Bluetooth key, and 
various connectors. The key has been available to Google Cloud customers since 
July, when the project was first publicly announced.

Built to the FIDO standard, the Titan keys work as a second factor for a number 
of services, including Facebook, Dropbox, and Github. But not surprisingly, 
they’re built particularly for Google account logins, particularly the Advanced 
Protection Program announced in October. Because the keys verify themselves 
with a complex handshake rather than a static code, they’re far more resistant 
to phishing attacks than a conventional confirmation code. The key was 
initially designed for internal Google use, and has been in active use within 
the company for more than eight months.

According to Google, the production process also makes the keys more resistant 
to supply chain attacks. “This firmware is sealed permanently into a secure 
element hardware chip at production time in the chip production factory,” Cloud 
product manager Christian Braand said in a post today. “The secure element 
hardware chip that we use is designed to resist physical attacks aimed at 
extracting firmware and secret key material.”

You can enable security keys in your Google account from the two-step 
verification page, or sign up for the Advanced Protection Program here.
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