We’re excited to partner with Yubico to bring YubiKey support to Brave for iOS. Yubico is the leading provider of hardware authentication security keys — devices which protect logins to online accounts from phishing, man-in-the-middle, and other threats of account takeover.
Unlike a code entered from a text message or an app, security keys such as the YubiKey not only authenticate you with a single touch, but also verify the identity of the site you’re logging into. A spoof site with a misleading domain name might be enough to occasionally trip up a person, but can’t fake the cryptographic handshake used in the U2F and WebAuthn protocols supported by the YubiKey.
With Brave’s support for Yubico’s upcoming YubiKey 5Ci devices, with both a USB-C and Lightning connector on a single device, you will soon be able to use the same robust security key across multiple devices, including iPhones and iPads. This allows for the removal of less safe login methods and greatly reduces the risk of phishing on protected accounts, no matter what device you’re logging in from.
We’re thrilled to have been able to work with Yubico on the YubiKey for Lightning Private Preview Program (now expanded to the YubiKey for Lightning Partner Preview Program). With early access to Yubico’s open-source SDK for iOS and prototypes of the hardware now called the YubiKey 5Ci, we were able to collaborate with the Yubico team to bring security key support to an iOS browser for the first time.
“The Brave browser integrates privacy and security features by default, and offering phishing-resistant authentication with the YubiKey to our users is a natural evolution in our mission to deliver a browser that serves the user first,” said Brendan Eich, CEO and co-founder of Brave Software. “We’re pleased that websites with strong U2F or WebAuthn authentication support will work in Brave on iOS devices, allowing the same durable hardware security key to protect accounts on any device. It’s exciting to see Yubico deliver their open source iOS SDKs and for the program to reach even more developers.”
“Yubico is excited to welcome Brave into our Works With YubiKey Partner Program. With a shared vision to deliver strong privacy and security online, our partnership is a natural fit,” said Stina Ehrensvard, CEO and Founder, Yubico. “With the addition of WebAuthn support, Brave is now the latest web browser equipped to deliver strong authentication, giving users across the web more choice and enabling relying parties the ability to offer a consistent user experience across browsers and platforms, including iOS.”
Brave’s support for YubiKey 5Ci security keys will be demonstrated at Identiverse in Washington, D.C. this week (June 25-28), so stop by the Yubico booth (#417) for a live look. YubiKey 5Ci devices will be available for purchase from Yubico later this year.
