

ProtonMail, an end-to-end encrypted email service born out of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in 2014, is sold by Proton Technologies AG.

"Enterprises are deploying micro-VPN or per-app VPN capabilities to protect sensitive data on corporate apps without having to tunnel/encrypt all data, which is cumbersome and affects performance," Hochmuth added.

Regarding the keys it will support, ProtonMail explained that for now, it would be supporting YubiKey and keys that comply with the FIDO2 (Fast IDentity Online) or U2F (Universal 2nd Factor) standard.VPN functions are being built into mobile security products such as Symantec's mobile endpoint protection, which invoke on-the-fly VPNs to protect users when threats are detected on open wireless connections, Hochmuth said. And it will make the user feel more confident about their data’s security because of the possession element, as they would physically have the key.Īnother benefit is that consumers can use the integrated security key to verify their identity using Windows Hello, or Apple Touch ID-based biometric data.

Now, the company is allowing users to perform 2FA via security keys to eliminate the hassle for good. However, despite being a safer method than sending the code in SMS messages to the device, it has a shortcoming: the received code’s introduction period was relatively short. So far, ProtonMail has used time-sensitive verification codes/Time-based one-time passwords ( TOTP) created by an authentication app installed on the mobile device. The latest step of allowing consumers to use security keys in 2FA to log into their accounts is aimed at enhancing user data security and privacy and reducing the possibility of email security threats such as phishing scams. Proton is a Switzerland-based company offering numerous popular services like end-to-end encrypted ProtonMail.Īccording to ProtonMail, the company acknowledges that users look for better protection of sensitive data and prevent hackers and third parties from accessing it. ProtonMail is the latest company to allow the use of physical security keys to log into accounts through two-factor authentication.
