New Firefox version supports FIDO2 passwordless biometric authentication with Windows Hello

The new version of Mozilla Firefox features support for WebAuthN with Windows Hello on Windows 10, enabling users to authenticate their identity for online accounts with biometrics instead of passwords.

Firefox 66 advances the browser’s previous support for the Web Authentication API on desktop platforms, which has been supported since version 60, to support passwordless FIDO2 capabilities, according to a blog post. In addition to face or fingerprint biometrics, Firefox users can use a wide range of external security keys via FIDO2’s CTAP2 protocol, or existing CTAP1 FIDO U2F-style security keys. Users running older versions of Windows can still use WebAuthN with Rust-implemented CTAP1 protocol support for USB security keys while Firefox works on extending CTAP2 and FIDO2 to them.

The feature is currently available for users on the fast ring of the Windows Insider Program, but will reach all Firefox users running Windows 10 when the spring update reaches them. Windows Hello support is also expected to reach Firefox ESR with a new version, due in May.

Microsoft Windows Security Team member Akshay Kumar contributed to the project, demonstrating the tech giant’s commitment to growing passwordless online authentication regardless of the browser, or at least to keeping Windows Hello in the loop.

Android was certified for FIDO2 authentication in February, as the password-free protocol implementations continue.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  FIDO Alliance  |  online authentication  |  passwordless authentication  |  Windows Hello