Security keys provide consumers and businesses with a safer and easier way to sign in to online sites and services without using a password. However, not everyone has access to this technology, so Google launched a new open source project called OpenSK to allow hobbyists and hardware vendors to create their own security keys. The company's new OpenSK initiative uses Rust-based firmware to transform Nordic Semiconductor's smart dongles into security keys that support FIDO U2F and FIDO2 standards. Google has also made public the models required for users to 3D print their own OpenSK key shell to protect their security keys.
DIY security keys
In a blog post announcing the new initiative, Elie Bursztein, Google's manager of security and anti-abuse research, and software engineer Jean-Michel Picod explained why the company chose the chips for Nordic because of its security keys. open source, stating: "In addition to being affordable, we chose Nordic as our initial reference material because it supports all of the major transport protocols mentioned by FIDO2: NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy, USB, and a dedicated hardware encryption core." Nordic Semiconductor's director of product management, Kjetil Holstad, hopes that OpenSK will lead to the widespread adoption of security keys, saying: "We are delighted to collaborate with Google and the open source community on the new OpenSK search platform. We look forward to that native support for our industry-leading nRF52840 for cryptographic acceleration, "combined with new features and testing in OpenSK, will help the industry adopt security keys more generally. Google also hopes to extend OpenSK to support other chips in the future, although the project is currently in the experimental research phase.Via Engadget