Facebook Announces Expanded Support For Physical Security Keys

Facebook announced this week that it will finally expand support of physical security keys for mobile devices. Security keys are devices that work by issuing an encrypted, one-time security code for two-factor authentication. They also notify users when someone tries accessing their Facebook account that the company doesn’t recognize.

Previously, Facebook only allowed these tools to be used for desktop. And while the social media giant has long encouraged notable figures to use security keys to protect themselves, the company is now also endorsing their use for everyday people.

“Since 2017, we’ve encouraged people that are at high risk of being targeted by malicious hackers: politicians, public figures, journalists and human rights defenders,” Facebook wrote in a blog post announcing the expanded support. “We strongly recommend that everyone considers using physical security keys to increase the security of their accounts, no matter what device they use.”

While Facebook doesn’t make these hardware security keys, they’re easy enough to buy and set up in the platform’s Security and Login section of user settings. However, they’re hard to explain and unfamiliar to most users, so whether or not people will actually follow through on Facebook’s suggestion is an open question.




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