Dropbox Adds Support for FIDO U2F Strong Authentication, YubiKeys

PRESS RELEASE

PALO ALTO, CA, Aug. 12, 2015 – Yubico, the leading provider of simple, open, online identity protection, today announced that cloud storage service Dropbox has added support for FIDO Universal 2nd Factor, including YubiKeys supporting the new open authentication standard.

Dropbox supports U2F YubiKeys
Today, cloud storage giant Dropbox announced to its 400 million users that it supports FIDO U2F for strong two-factor authentication. On the company’s blog, Dropbox said users now can protect their files with U2F-powered devices in addition to the current feature of a one-time code sent to a mobile phone. Those U2F devices include YubiKeys, which enable high-security, public key cryptography to protect against advanced malware, phishing, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

FIDO U2F removes cost and complexity from traditional public key and smart card technology. U2F-powered YubiKeys can be purchased from the Yubico store or at Amazon.com, and one single U2F device can access Google, Dropbox, WordPress and any number of U2F-compliant services. No client software or third-party services are needed, and no encryption secrets or information about users are shared between service providers.

The emerging open authentication standards initiative was co-created by Yubico, Google and NXP, and contributed to the 200-member strong FIDO Alliance. Dropbox is the first major non-FIDO member to recognize the security advantages of FIDO U2F and offer those benefits to its customer base. Membership is not a requirement for adopting FIDO U2F. The standards specifications have been publicly available since December 2014, and the server code is free.

Today, trillions of dollars are lost, and billions of Internet users risk getting their online accounts hacked because of compromised static credentials. It’s encouraging that some great large-scale service providers are adopting technologies that represent the future of authentication — simple, open and secure.

The Yubico lineup that supports FIDO U2F, and works out-of-the-box with Dropbox and Gmail, includes YubiKey Edge and Edge-n, YubiKey NEO and NEO-n and Yubico FIDO U2F Security Key. In addition to FIDO U2F, YubiKeys can support OATH One-Time Password, OpenPGP, and smart card (PIV) capabilities. For more information, see the YubiKey feature comparison chart.
About Yubico

As the inventors of the YubiKey, Yubico sets new world standards for secure login across the Internet. Our unique USB and NFC key offers one-touch strong authentication supporting multiple authentication protocols for all devices and platforms – with no driver or client software needed. With successful enterprise deployments in 156 countries, including 8 of the top 10 Internet companies, Yubico is adding the consumer market to its list of strong authentication converts. Founded in 2007, Yubico is privately held with offices in Palo Alto, CA, Seattle, WA, Stockholm; and London.

Media Contact
Ronnie Manning
Director, Public Relations
619.822.2239
[email protected]