Facebook Offers Physical Key Access To The Really Paranoid User

The fear of having one’s Facebook account hacked has been lingering in the minds of many users for years and the social media site has taken several steps in order to ease the worry of those who have become incredibly paranoid. Among the most effective methods is the 2-Step authentication system, but even this is not guaranteed 100 percent safe. As such, perhaps the use of a physical key to access Facebook profiles might work.

The 2-Step authentication has several flaws that make it non-viable with regards to accessing Facebook accounts in certain cases, TechCrunch notes. For one thing, it relies on cell service, which can be a bother in places where the phone’s carrier signal can’t reach.

There is also the possibility of hackers simply fiddling with a user’s SIM, which would then allow them to get the authentication code sent by Facebook instead of the user. By using Security Keys that are provided by companies like Yubico, however, users won’t have to worry about such issues.

Security Keys work by providing users with codes that are generated only once before being discarded. This is also how codes sent with 2-Step authentication works, but instead of having to rely on text messages, users can just tap on the key. For those wondering, these keys fit into USB slots, much like flash drives work. Every time the key is used, it generates a code, which then corresponds to Facebook’s system and allows access.

When speaking to Fortune, Facebook security engineer Brad Hill explained that offering this option is meant to provide users with more choices with regards to the level of security that they can have. Obviously, most users are not going to need security measures more complicated than the 2-Step authentication method, but there those who require better protection.

"This is about giving people more options to protect their accounts and to find the choice that’s right for them," Hill said. "If you use a security key, you're pretty much completely immune to any kind of attack like phishing."