Reglikedomain industry desk

Two-factor authentication to a physical key — Upgrading GoDaddy

Two-factor authentication to a physical key — Upgrading GoDaddy

It’s a lot faster to log in with a physical key.

Photo of a Yubi FIDO U2F key in a black laptop. The Key is blue with a gold key emblem on a wood grain backgrond

At NamesCon in January, GoDaddy promoted the ability to use physical security keys that use the FIDO U2F standard for two-factor authentication.

I by now use a key for Google, so this was interesting to me. Not only is this more secure, but it’s much faster to use than an app-based two-factor code.

Ahead of switching to a physical key with GoDaddy, here’s what my login process looked like:

1. Access GoDaddy
2. Damn, I’ve timed out. Need to log in again
3. Locate my phone (I left it upstairs again!) and open authenticator app
4. Type code from app into my laptop browser window

Using a physical key is much easier. Following entering my login credentials, all I have to do is touch the blue Yubi key inserted in my laptop (see picture above) rather than find my phone, opening the app, and typing the six-digit code. (You can also use Bluetooth keys.)

GoDaddy login screen asking to confirm physical hardware key

Until GoDaddy released its fresh iOS Investor app, you couldn’t use a physical security key to log in on GoDaddy.com and then use app-based login on the app. The fresh app fixes this problem. Just set up app-based as your backup two-factor login.

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.

Hit 7 Million Registrations — .Org DomainDomain RegistrarsHit 7 Million Registrations — .Org DomainBDomain RegistrarsBegins showing minimum offer price alongside unpriced Afternic listings — Go Daddy“uses this one simple trick” to get 56,000 more registration years per month — How GoDaddyDomain Registrars“uses this one simple trick” to get 56,000 more registration years per month — How GoDaddyGubernatorial bid ends in primaries — Christine Jones’Domain RegistrarsGubernatorial bid ends in primaries — Christine Jones’Uniregistry is now UniDomain RegistrarsUniregistry is now Uni4 reasons domain name registries ought to think twice ahead of reserving premiumsDomain Registrars4 reasons domain name registries ought to think twice ahead of reserving premiumsA $12,500 price tag for Donuts’ Early Access Program — GoDaddy hasDomain RegistrarsA $12,500 price tag for Donuts’ Early Access Program — GoDaddy hasFDomain RegistrarsFound Gwen, the woman who quit her job in a Super Bowl Commercial — How GoDaddyService continues to lift Tucows — Mobile phoneDomain RegistrarsService continues to lift Tucows — Mobile phone