Where are the U2F Rings?
The FIDO specification defines a form of Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) when users log in to a system. Rather than relying on one-time codes sent via SMS, or displayed on a phone screen, these are physical hardware tokens which are used to supplement passwords. When used with websites, this technology is also known as WebAuthn.
I use a USB thumb-drive sized hardware token and they're nifty - but a little impractical.
Since the great working from home experiment, I don't have my keys on me at all times. This means my Yubico Neo sits on a keychain, in a pocket of a coat which is rarely worn. So every time I need to use U2F to authenticate with a service, I have to trek around the house trying to remember where I last saw my keyring.
Wouldn't it be great if I could wear my Yubikey? Some high-tech jewellery would be fab!
To be clear, this isn't an original idea:
And some people do wear their keys as pendants.
There are also Yubikey earrings:
So why not a ring? A ring doesn't take up much space on the body, they're rarely taken off, and they're socially acceptable jewellery for most people.
A basic NFC ring costs less than two pounds! But it doesn't have the necessary processing power for U2F.
The OMNI ring is £70 and looks like it has the right hardware. But, sadly, they appear to be incompatible with the FIDO specification.
The cheapest FIDO2 U2F NFC key is about £30. So it shouldn't be impossible to put the hardware into a more aesthetically pleasing form factor.
Token were planning to release a WebAuthn ring "soon" - but with no price nor predicted availability. Their social media hasn't been updated in two years. Similarly, Motiv were planing on releasing a WebAuthn ring - but they got bought by a company called Proxy - who have since fallen into a Web3 hole never to be heard of again.
So - this is my version of Cunningham's Law. If I blog saying something doesn't exist - some smartarse will immediately post a link to some Shenzhen store selling them for a quid each!
There are no WebAuthn rings - or other jewellery-like form factors. And that sucks.
Giving the finger to MFA - a review of the Z1 Encrypter Ring from Cybernetic
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Joe Prencipe says: