If you care a little about user data protection, then you might well have heard about services promoting security features such as TOTP, U2F and OTP with Yubikey. Don't worry, you aren't the only one who doesn't know exactly what these mean, but if you want to maximize the protection of your online accounts, then it's important to know the difference between them and the security that they provide.
- A password is not enough in itself; the U2F key is needed. Only the person possessing these two means of authentication can access the intended account. Ease of use: When you buy a U2F security key, you simply link it to a compatible computer service.
- What you are referring to is a 'con' in the argument for the pros and cons of Password Managers in general. Password Managers do present a single point of failure - in that if the manager is compromised, all the assorted credentials within also are compromised. While this is a risk, it must be looked at in view of the fact that password.
- Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of protection for your 1Password account. When turned on, a second factor will be required to sign in to your account on a new device, in addition to your Master Password and Secret Key. Learn more about authentication and encryption in the 1Password.
Everyone Needs a Password Manager. Nearly every website you visit insists you create a user. Time-based One-Time Passwords (TOTP), One-Time Passwords (OTP), and Fido's Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) provide a solution to this rising issue. What the three methods have in common is that they all require a piece of information that only the rightful user has, and in more technical terms this is based on a challenge/response model.
The Second Layer of Security
Every time news of a security breach appears it highlights how weak the static, single-layer security of a username and password combination is nowadays. It may be due to the advancements of hacking techniques and technologies or just the bad habit of using weak, easy-to-guess passwords when we shouldn't.
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But the addition of a second factor – as in possession of a token, code or something else that only the rightful user can know – seeks to address the demand for more secure account protection. Time-based One-Time Passwords (TOTP), One-Time Passwords (OTP), and Fido's Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) provide a solution to this rising issue.
What the three methods have in common is that they all require a piece of information that only the rightful user has, and in more technical terms this is based on a challenge/response model. This is what ultimately provides access to the account, even if someone else knows the username and password.
Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP)
At the core of TOTP is the clock, which is used as the challenge value. The most popular service based on this solution is the six-digit passcodes displayed in the Google Authenticator app. Since it is time-based, it requires synchronization with the service that is applying this security layer. What happens is that a cryptographic key is created when, for example, you enroll your Dropbox account with Google Authenticator. The clock starts at 1/1/1970 (Unix epoch) and the six-digit codes – AKA the challenge value – are valid for 30 seconds.
When a user tries to log into their Dropbox account, the Authenticator app will show a six-digit passcode that matches Dropbox's user database thanks to the synchronized ‘clocks’. Unfortunately, this method carries a few weak points that can be exploited by any knowledgeable hacker, in particular:
- If the user key is compromised, the hacker will be able to generate a valid response code.
- The key created when a user enrolls a service into TOTP requires storage and protection.
- The cryptographic key transferred to Google Authenticator can be intercepted.
One-Time Passcodes With Yubikey
There is another way of generating one-time passcodes: using a hardware token. One such example is Yubikey, which is currently sold as an “unphishable” product. Unfortunately, that's not the case due to a security vulnerability found in Chrome's WebUSB feature, although the flaw itself isn’t in the security system that Yubikey uses.
Yubikey is based on the combined use of counters, timers, and random value generators, as well as the 128-bit length cryptographic key that is created by Yubiko and stored directly on the device at the moment of manufacturing the device. This hardware token is one of the best commercially available options that users have if they don't refrain from the hassle of two-factor authentication.
The token is inserted in the computer's USB port and the user then touches the device to generate a one-time password. Of course the token must be registered with the service being accessed and the 12-byte user identifier stored as part of the user profile.
Fido's U2F
This protocol – developed by FIDO – was created as an answer to security attacks against OTP schemes. The U2F protocol is based on standard public-key cryptography techniques and involves the client in the authentication process. When registering a new online account via a web browser, the client is the browser in this case.
It is at the point of when a user registers for a new online service that public and private cryptographic keys are generated. The private key is then stored on the registered device, and when a login attempt is made the account successfully opens if the challenge sent by the service provider provides the correct response, which in this case is a signature from the private key stored on the registered device. This method seeks to ensure only authorized devices – and therefore the rightful account owner – have access to the requested online service.
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Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of protection for your 1Password account. When turned on, a second factor will be required to sign in to your account on a new device, in addition to your Master Password and Secret Key.
Learn more about authentication and encryption in the 1Password security model.
Get an authenticator app
Before you can use two-factor authentication with your 1Password account, you’ll need to install an authenticator app on your mobile device:
Although 1Password can be used to store one-time passwords for other services where you use two-factor authentication, it’s important to use a different authenticator app to store the authentication codes for your 1Password account. Storing them in 1Password would be like putting the key to a safe inside the safe itself.
Set up two-factor authentication
![U2f 1password tutorial U2f 1password tutorial](/uploads/1/1/8/9/118943501/864043156.png)
To turn on two-factor authentication:
- Sign in to your account on 1Password.com.
- Click your name in the top right and choose My Profile.
- Click More Actions > Manage Two-Factor Authentication.
- Click Set Up App. You’ll see a square barcode (QR code).To save a backup of your two-factor authentication code, write down the 16-character secret next to the QR code and store it somewhere safe, like with your passport and Emergency Kit.
- On your mobile device, open your authenticator app and use it to scan the QR code. After you scan the QR code, you’ll see a six-digit authentication code.
- On 1Password.com, click Next. Enter the six-digit authentication code, then click Confirm.
Your 1Password account is now protected by two-factor authentication. To continue using your account on other devices or to sign in to it on a new device, you’ll need to enter a six-digit authentication code from your authenticator app.
Tip
After you set up two-factor authentication, if you have a U2F security key, like YubiKey or Titan, you can use it as a second factor with your 1Password account.
View and manage authorized devices
To view your authorized devices, sign in to your account on 1Password.com. Then click your name in the top right and choose My Profile.
To manage an authorized device, clicknext to it. You’ll find these options:
![1password 1password](https://supermagicfunland4.duosecurity.com/assets/img/documentation/1password/1password-duo-enrollment_2x.png)
- Deauthorize Device: Your account will be removed from the device.
- Require 2FA on Next Sign-in: Your account will remain on the device, but changes you make on other devices won’t appear until you reauthorize using a second factor.
Manage two-factor authentication for your team
With 1Password Business, you can manage two-factor authentication for your team if:
- you’re a team administrator or owner
- you belong to a group that has the “Manage Settings” permission
To manage two-factor authentication for your team, click Security in the sidebar and choose “Two-Factor Authentication”. Then you can:
- Allow security keys in addition to an authenticator app.
- Enforce two-factor authentication for everyone on your team.*
- Use Duo, a third-party option that’s automatically enforced.
- Turn off two-factor authentication completely.
* To enforce two-factor authentication, your Master Password policy must be set to Strong. Your team will need to set up two-factor authentication when they sign up, sign in, or unlock 1Password. Create a team report to see who uses two-factor authentication.
Get help
Two-factor authentication requires a 1Password membership and 1Password 7 or later (or 1Password 6.8 for Mac).
If you lose access to your authenticator app
If you lose access to your authenticator app, you won’t be able to sign in to 1Password on new devices until you turn off two-factor authentication.
To turn off two-factor authentication, sign in to your account on 1Password.com in an authorized browser or unlock 1Password on an authorized device:
1Password.com
U2f 1password Tutorial
- Click your name in the top right and choose My Profile.
- Click More Actions > Manage Two-Factor Authentication.
- Click Turn Off Two-Factor Authentication, then enter your Master Password.
Mac
U2f 1password
Choose 1Password > Preferences > Accounts. Click your account, then click Turn Off Two-Factor Authentication.
iOS and Android
Tap Settings > 1Password Accounts. Tap your account, then tap Turn Off Two-Factor Authentication.
Windows
Find All My Passwords
Choose Accounts and select your account, then click “Turn off two-factor authentication”.
If you don’t have access to an authorized browser or device, ask someone to recover your account.
If your team uses Duo
If your team uses Duo, you won’t see the option to turn on two-factor authentication because Duo is already providing multi-factor authentication for everyone on your team.
If 1Password isn’t accepting your authentication codes
Make sure the date and time are set correctly on Mac , iOS , Windows , and Android .