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Home » Resources » Cybersecurity glossary » What is FIDO 2?

What is FIDO 2?

FIDO2 is the passwordless evolution of FIDO U2F. The overall objective for FIDO2 is to provide an extended set of functionality to cover additional use-cases, with the main driver being passwordless login flows. The U2F model is still the basis for FIDO2 and compatibility for existing U2F deployments is provided in the FIDO2 specs.
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What does it mean to be FIDO2 Certified?

FIDO’s certification programs are a critical element in ensuring an interoperable ecosystem of products and services that organizations can leverage to deploy FIDO Authentication solutions worldwide. FIDO Alliance manages functional certification programs for its various specifications (e.g. U2F and FIDO2) to validate product conformance and interoperability. A FIDO2-certified device, such as a YubiKey 5 Series security key, has gone through a full FIDO certification program and successfully meets all requirements.

What’s the difference between FIDO2 and FIDO U2F?

FIDO2 is an extension of FIDO U2F (link to FIDO U2F definition page), they offer the same level of high-security based on public key cryptography. FIDO2 offers expanded authentication options including strong single factor (passwordless), strong two factor, and multi-factor authentication.

What are the benefits of FIDO 2 passwordless authentication?

Improved usability

Use of hardware-based security key is fast and easy. For FIDO2 supported service, users ar freed from having to remember and type passwords

One key to all accounts

A single security key that can work across thousands of accounts with no shared secrets

Strong account security

Replaces weak passwords with strong hardware-based authentication using Private / Public Key (asymmetric) cryptography

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