Safely Navigate the Web with URU Key, a FIDO2 Authenticator

URU Key is a small, custom FIDO2 Authenticator that uses a fingerprint scanner to authenticate yourself on WebAuthN-enabled websites.

URUKey unpopulated and populated (📷: Andrey Ovcharov)

The internet was not designed with security in mind, but new standards are helping to ensure that users can continue to safely and easily interact with it. A standard called FIDO2 WebAuthN allows users to login to their accounts online using their biometrics, mobile devices, or FIDO security keys — and with much higher security over passwords alone. Andrey Ovcharov, a hobbyist electrical engineer, is working on implementing a custom FIDO2 Authenticator with his hardware project URU Key.

URU Key is a standalone wireless biometric WebAuthN authenticator about the size of a small flash drive. It features a GROW R300 fingerprint scanner, ESP32 microcontroller for wireless data transfer, ATECC508A security chip, and a few LEDs for user feedback. Ovcharov is designing URU Key to easily interact with WebAuthN web applications so the user can power on their URUKey and scan a registered fingerprint to authenticate themselves instead of using their mobile device.

Ovcharov has been working on URU Key, which he derived from "You-Are-You," for about six months now and is currently deciding on power options for his board. Check out his continuing progress by following his project page!

Nick Engmann
💻Hacker, ✍️Writer, (🐛)Bounty Hunter, and 🏁Founder — https://www.nickengmann.com
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