A recent attack on Apple’s iCloud provided hackers with over 100 passwords that belonged to celebrity accounts. The hackers used these keys to steal nude photos and post them on the web. Cases like these have become quite common.
Most experts in the security field agree that the future needs to be “passwordless.” The system that is currently in place is not enough. It seems like corporations are constantly playing catch-up with security risks. It is quite clear that something will replace the password in the near future; at least in the way that we know it today.
Meet Clef, a mobile app that completely replaces usernames and passwords by using your smartphone. Could this be the solution we have been waiting for?
How does it Work?
Clef works by creating a digital key inside your phone. The mobile application uses the digital key to generate signatures every time you need to log into an account. Since all the details stay in your phone, breaches in the Clef Database do not compromise your security.
After you synchronize Clef with a participating website, a digital signature is sent to your phone. Clef then verifies that signature and connects you to the site server using a service called OAuth2.0.
In simple terms, instead of entering a username and password, all you have to do is point your phone at your computer screen. Chef uses the smartphone’s camera to send the encrypted key to the website, and automatically logs you in.
Google Chrome Plugin
A big drawback of Clef is that it cannot be used with every website, not without some help. While the company powers logins for more than 9800 sites, it does not work directly with major businesses like Facebook and Twitter.
However, Joe Wegner, a 21-year-old fan of Clef, created a Google Chrome Plugin that allows the mobile app to work across the entire web. He named it Waltz. Therefore, instead of patiently waiting for Amazon, eBay and other major players to implement Clef, a user can login through any site using Chrome and their smartphone.
Clef users will see the Clef symbol pop up on their screen anytime they need to log into a website, via Chrome.
Limitations
Clef is an easy to use, elegant app that works like magic. The multi-layered security system behind it is top notch, and it would take modern computers hundreds of years to crack it. It cannot be denied that this is a sophisticated and intuitive idea, but it might have arrived a little too late.
As with any security innovation, Clef has received its share of criticism. The main one being that it requires a smartphone to work. This raises questions such as: What if you leave your phone at home? What if the battery dies? What if it gets stolen? In addition, more and more people are replacing their desktops and laptops for mobile devices, which kind of defeats the purpose of Clef. We live in a mobile world, where we can access everything on our smartphones.
Perhaps ten years ago this would have been received as the ideal solution to passwords, but in today’s world, things are not so simple.