Nok Nok Labs adds Apple Touch ID support, unlocking fingerprint authentication possibilities for app developers

Authentication provider Nok Nok Labs has updated its FIDO Ready Multifactor Authentication Client (MFAC) to support the Touch ID API that works with the Apple iPhone 5S and later iPhones, as well as FIDO-Ready Samsung phones with fingerprint sensors.

Custom iPhone application developers can now use MFAC to leverage Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the Samsung Galaxy S5’s fingerprint sensor for more secure online authentication.

The update means that Touch ID fingerprint recognition can be used along with the other authentication options available through MFAC such as voice recognition, face recognition, and PINs.

While there is a significant rivalry between FIDO Alliance’s open-standard approach and Apple’s Touch ID that leaves out a significant amount of users who don’t have iPhones, Nok Nok Labs’ approach incorporates both FIDO and Touch ID.

“This new functionality demonstrates how the industry is broadly committed to the ideals that we had in mind as the visionary and founding member of the FIDO Alliance and the standardized protocol,” Nok Nok Labs president and CEO Phillip Dunkelberger said in a statement. “With this latest release of our products with support for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, we are showing the market that no matter the device, you can integrate once and authenticate anywhere.”

Nok Nok Labs’ FIDO technology has been chosen by online payment giants PayPal and China’s Alipay to facilitate remote authentication.

This latest version of MFAC also includes out-of-band authentication support for iOS and Android devices through QR codes and push notifications. This allows the use of FIDO authentication on a separate device when there is no FIDO client on the primary device, such as a tablet or computer. Users also have control over what devices are “remembered” through their account, and restrict access from lost devices.

Article Topics

Apple  |  authentication  |  biometrics  |  FIDO Alliance  |  fingerprint sensors  |  multi-factor authentication  |  Nok Nok Labs  |  Samsung  |  Touch ID