Google offers USB security key to make bad passwords moot

A new security feature for Google’s services will help users better protect their data by requiring that they insert a USB security key to log in to their account.

Announced on Tuesday, the optional Security Key technology requires that a Chrome user take two additional steps to sign in to their Google account: plug a small key into the USB port on their computer and tap a button. The process is a simpler and more secure version of the 2-Step Verification process that Google offers to security-conscious users. With 2-Step Verification, users receive a code from Google on their phone or in e-mail that they must enter into Google’s site to complete the login process.

Users that opt for the Security Key technology will have to purchase a special USB key, which typically costs less than $20. “Rather than typing a code, just insert Security Key into your computer’s USB port and tap it when prompted in Chrome,” Nishit Shah, product manager for Google Security, wrote in a blog post on the new technology. “When you sign into your Google Account using Chrome and Security Key, you can be sure that the cryptographic signature cannot be phished.”