Apple has released iOS 13.3 for iPhone, with the long-awaited support for USB, NFC, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari browser.
While FIDO2 is a WebAuthN browser API standard, along with the FIDO CTAP (Client to Authenticator Protocol), which builds on FIDO alliance for Universal Two Factor (U2F) authentication standard. WebAuthn is the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) approved web authentication standard adopted by many tech industry leaders, whose API allows strong browser-to-hardware-based authentication for devices using security keys, NFC, and authenticators like TouchId.
The ability to use security keys with Safari browser is perhaps the biggest addition to iOS devices, which formerly, security keys weren’t supported on Apple’s Safari browser, except for third-party apps like 1Password. Now, the new OS makes the use of security keys such as 5Ci YubiKey possible.
Security keys represents the next level of online security, which is rather a move away from passwords that requires you to authenticate with two or more factors in a more robust way. It is easy to use and amply protects against advanced phishing attacks, whereby the hackers attempt to break into your account by having you enter your details on cloned website's log-in page.
The YubiKey 5Ci is perhaps the first iPhone compatible security key to feature USB-C with lightning connectors on a key, which makes it the best available option at the moment.
Apple's iOS 13.3 also brings other cool new features, such as improvements to the Screen Time parental controls feature, which allows you to set how your kids call, text or FaceTime, and even manage contacts with time-specific limits.
There are still some other smaller improvements with iOS 13.3, including the ability to create new videos from trimming clips in Photos, and also Apple News fresh layouts for News+ stories from sources like the Wall Street Journal and other leading newspapers, allowing you to like or dislike stories easily.
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