Google Unveils Titan Security Key in Bluetooth and USB Models to Protect Against Phishing

HIGHLIGHTS

• Google has unveiled its FIDO-compatible Titan Security Key
• The new security key supports mobile devices and desktops
• Google has also launched its Edge TPU and Cloud IoT Edge software stac

Google at its cloud computing-focused Cloud Next 2018 has unveiled the Titan Security Key 

as its native FIDO-compatible security key to protect enterprise customers against online 

attacks. The latest development comes just after it was reported that the use of physical 

security keys helped over 85,000 Google employees prevent phishing attacks for over a year. The 

Titan Security Key is initially available to Google Cloud customers, though it will also go on 

sale for the masses through the Google Store in the coming future. It takes on the offerings 

by Yubico that are already protecting the experience on Gmail and other web services.


The Titan Security Key comes in two variants; while one supports Bluetooth and NFC to 

enable 2FA (two-factor authentication) for mobile devices, the other variant comes with a 

standard USB port to enable protection on PCs and notebooks. Both feature a security 

element that includes a firmware developed by Google to verify the key's integrity. "We've 

long advocated the use of security keys as the strongest, most phishing-resistant 

authentication factor for high-value users, especially cloud admins, to protect against the 

potentially damaging consequences of credential theft," writes Google Cloud's Product 

Management Director Jennifer Lin in a blog post. "Titan Security Key gives you even more 

peace of mind that your accounts are protected, with assurance from Google of the integrity 

of the physical key."


With the launch of the Titan Security Key, Google has eventually entered the market of 

security keys and once again prompted U2F (Universal 2nd Factor) that comes as an 

upgrade to the traditional 2FA. The company led by Sundar Pichai already adopted security 

keys internally that recently found to have helped not just tens or hundreds but over 85,000 

employees. Likewise, the use of security keys on services such as Gmail and Google Drive 

isn't new, as companies such as Yubico are already offering their in-house solutions for 

major Google services. A support page by the company also hints at the ongoing plans to 

boost the usage of security keys in order to protect enterprise customers from targeted 

online attacks.


Apart from confirming its interest towards security keys, Google at Cloud Next announced its 

Edge TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) that comes as a purpose-built ASIC chip to run 

TensorFlow Lite models. It helps connected sensors make real-time, intelligent decisions 

locally, "at the edge" - without requiring an additional resource. There is also a software 

stack called Cloud IoTEdge that extends Google Cloud's powerful AI capability to gateways 

and connected devices and let developers build and train machine learning models in the 

cloud.




Enabling developers to start building their solutions using the Edge TPU, Google is set to 

offer a development kit that will include the Edge TPU, NXP CPU, Microchip secure 

element, and Wi-Fi antenna. It will be available to developers starting this October. A 

dedicated Google form has been created to sign up for early access.