The tech giant’s new security key will help you protect your account from phishing attacks.
Google has launched its Titan Security Key, a small gadget that helps give your Google account some added security. The gadget, designed for both computers and mobile devices, acts as a highly secure master password, helping to prevent phishing attacks.
The Titan keys support FIDO U2F protocol.
The Titan Security Key has met the standards of the FIDO alliance, which essentially publishes secure specifications and certifications that other companies can use to provide an additional layer of security to their products.
Google’s keys support FIDO U2F (Universal Second Factor), which helps prevent, among other security risks, phishing attacks, where someone may attempt to hijack sensitive information by tricking you with a bogus email, text, etc.
The FIDO U2F protocol is so secure, according to Google, that the company has yet to have “a single reported or confirmed account takeover due to password phishing,” since its own employees started using the keys, CNBC reported.
Only someone with the Titan Security Key can access your account.
The Titan Security Key bundle comes with two different keys. One key plugs into your computer’s USB port and the other connects to smartphones via Bluetooth. To setup the keys, the user simply accesses Google’s two-factor authentication page, selects the option to add a new key, and then plugs each key into their computer, one at a time, to set them up.
Once the keys are good to go, they are required any time you log in to your Google account, whether it’s on your computer or someone else’s. First, the user must enter their Google account password, insert the USB key into their computer, and tap the gold button on the device. If a user is logging into their account on their phone, they simply have to tap the button on the Bluetooth key.
The good news is that the only way to access your account is with the key. This means no one can access it without it. The bad news is that this also means if you don’t have the key or lose it, you can’t access your account either until you find it or get a replacement key. This could mean being locked out of your account for days.
Presently, the Titan Security Key bundle is $50. It is compatible with both iOS and Android phones 
and can be used for Google accounts, as well as other accounts you’ve configured, such as Facebook and Dropbox. That being said, at the moment, many sites and services do not support the keys. This is likely to change in the future and Google will also be adding NFC support later this year.