New log-in tech will completely remove passwords in future

Vendors of mobile devices are lining up to implement an authentication scheme to make online transactions more simpler and secure which is known as the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) specification.

FIDO was founded in 2012 and already has the backing of ARM, Alibaba, Bank of America, BlackBerry, MasterCard, Microsoft and Qualcomm.

After two years of work, FIDO has issued the first fully completed drafts of two specifications -- the Universal Authentication Framework (UAF) and Universal 2nd Factor (U2F).

If widely deployed, these specifications could form the basis for securing online communications without using passwords, which can  minimize or pose security threats.

These two specifications describe procedures that systems can use to verify a person's identity. For instance, biometric sensors such as fingerprint readers could identify a user's identity. A portable hardware token, which can be carried about, could also be used to authenticate individuals.

In real time Google’s Security Key was just one example of FIDO. Samsung’s fingerprint reader also used the technology to let users log directly into the native PayPal app.

“Today, we celebrate an achievement that will define the point at which the old world order of passwords and PINs started to wither and die,” said Michael Barrett, president of the FIDO Alliance.

“FIDO Alliance pioneers can forever lay claim to ushering in the ‘post password’ era, which is already revealing new dimensions in internet services and digital commerce.”