Yubico has officially released its Android SDK. The platform will make it easier for mobile developers to deliver apps with built-in support for YubiKey authentication.
With the release, Yubico will essentially be able to offer security coverage to the entire mobile ecosystem. The company has already released an iOS SDK, so developers will now be able to integrate YubiKeys into apps for both platforms.
The new SDK is compatible with USB and NFC connections, and supports the YubiOTP, OATH (TOTP and HOTP), and PIV authentication protocols. The Android platform already offers native support for FIDO’s passwordless authentication standards.
Of course, the benefits of hardware-backed security are quite well established. Yubico argues that an external token is safer than mobile solutions like SMS, which are shared on the device itself and are therefore vulnerable to malware. The company also noted that using a YubiKey takes less time than copying and pasting a one-time code, and that the use of YubiKeys can lower tech support costs by as much as 92 percent.
The medical documentation company Allscripts is currently using the new SDC to bring YubiKey support to its Sunrise Mobile and Professional EHR Mobile and Desktop solutions.
Newer iPhones gained YubiKey support when Apple released an NFC update for iOS 13 back in September. Google took advantage of those capabilities earlier this month with an update that lets people use a YubiKey to log into their various Google accounts on iOS devices.
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