Google's Titan security device protects your data

A phone, tablet and even more so a laptop or computer is a device containing a huge amount of personal information about the owner. It also includes personal information about oneself and relatives, and, as often happens, confidential data, such as passwords to social networks and payment services, numbers and pin codes of plastic cards, and sometimes numbers and series of important documents. All this is a tasty prey for scammers living on the Internet.

A few seconds are enough for an intruder hacker to gain access to such data and use it for personal gain, and the owner of the equipment can face financial collapse, as well as the collapse of personal relationships and the breakdown of the family. To avoid serious consequences, the owner of a mobile or digital device must take care of security in advance using special means of protecting personal data. One such tool is Google's Titan.

Modern ways to protect personal information

The first and easiest way to protect personal information stored on your computer or phone is to create strong passwords. It is important that these are complex combinations of numbers, letters and signs that are not known to other users and, of course, do not coincide with any personal names, names and dates. Since an attacker may well know the owner of the device and it will not be difficult for him to find the values ​​coded into the password. In addition, today there are many "smart" hacking programs that are able to detect rather complex combinations by the selection method.

In addition to using passwords for security, PC and laptop owners are advised to use the following methods to protect confidential information:

• Data encryption using special tools or programs, after which it will be possible to obtain them only using a special key;
• Use of up-to-date antivirus software;
• Setting a password for the BIOS and / or hard drive;
• Using the HTTPS protocol, which allows information to the server in encrypted form;
• Protect wireless networks using WPA / WPA2 data encryption and strong password creation.

Owners of tablets, iPhones, smartphones and mobile phones are recommended to use such methods of protecting personal information as a lock screen with a graphic key, encrypting the device memory and external SD card, as well as using special programs designed for specific models of equipment.

Google as a developer of security software and devices

Today, there are many developers of special tools that allow users of digital and mobile devices to protect their sensitive data.One of the most promising manufacturers can be called Google, which produces high-quality and varied software that provide owners of technology with the safety of its use.

Google Inc. is an American multinational corporation that invests in Internet search, computing and advertising technology. In addition, the company develops Internet services, the most popular of which are:

• Google Translate (online translator);
• Google Maps (electronic maps);
• Gmail (email);
• GoogleNews (site with updated news).

Google is registered as an official enterprise in early September 1998. But in fact, it dates back to 1996 in the form of a research project of Stanford University of California students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, whose goal was to improve search engines.

From 1999 to 2000, the company has been actively and successfully developing, an indicator of which is the increase in the number of daily requests from 10,000 to 100 million. In 2001, Google representatives announced a full payback and huge prospects for their search engine. And so for 20 years Google has been developing, creating additional services, improving its algorithms and expanding our capabilities.

Among Google products, there are three systems for protecting personal information of owners of computers, devices and gadgets:

1. Combat malware by alerting users to the dangers posed by any link, website or download containing infected code for distribution. It also protects the Gmail account from spam and the direct operation of the Google Chrome browser loaded with dangerous codes and viruses.
2. Providing modern security tools in the form of automatic Google updates and blocking outdated plugins until they are reinstalled to the latest version.
3. Protection of mobile devices in the form of ensuring the security of Android through the Google Play program.

Today, one of the most relevant security tools from Google is software that allows you to set up two-step authentication. The meaning of this tool is that if a third party becomes aware of the password from the user account, then it will not be able to apply it, since this will require going through the second stage of verification, confirming your actions via a mobile phone or by entering a six-digit code generated by the Google application Authenticator.

Google key Titan review

History of appearance

But as experts say, the use of SMS messages for two-factor authentication has not provided complete data security for a long time. This is how the most active hackers gain access to SMS messages through the use of certain viruses - Trojans or protocols. Therefore, the developers of protective equipment were faced with the question of creating other more stable tools.

In 2018, at the Google Cloud Next conference in San Francisco, Google developers presented their new product, which is significantly different from previously released security tools, the Titan Security Key. Employees of the company began testing new security keys since the beginning of 2017, as a result of which the number of hacks in their accounts decreased to zero. The main point of such a tool is that hackers who have intercepted the login and password have no way to get into user accounts without a USB key. This protection is especially important for large business accounts that need to keep information confidential.

Features of work

Titan Security Key is a hardware key similar to a small USB flash drive that can be connected to any mobile or stationary device for secure authentication. Depending on the type of protected equipment, Titan from Google provides two connection options:

• via USB input for laptops and personal computers;
• via Bluetooth connection for mobile gadgets.

The operation of the device is similar to the operation of a two-factor authentication code sent via SMS to a user of a smartphone or computer. But it differs only in that to confirm the identity during authorization, not a message is used, but a physical key.

Google used the most advanced technologies to create the hardware security tool. First of all, this is the FIDO standard, which consists in the individuality of each hardware instrument by installing a special program on the protected device. This option completely excludes the possibility of making a duplicate key, since the software is located in a secure element. There is no way to steal personal information when assembling the Titan Security Key, the chip of which is sent to the factory with encrypted and sealed data.

Titan Security Key stores in its memory the logins and passwords that it receives from the Google Smart Lock service. Also, hardware security keys have support for working with most web browsers, as well as with all online services offered by the developer company.

The cost

Titan Security Key is available for users in three versions:

• USB dongle starting price $ 20 (about 1400 rubles);
• dongle with Bluetooth support starting price $ 25 (about 1800 rubles);
• a key with both connection methods, the cost of which is about $ 50 (about 3500 rubles).

Pros and cons of Google's Titan security device

• High level of security, thanks to the use of Google's own firmware and U2F protocol from the FIDO Alliance;
• Ease of use - no need to enter one-time passwords, just connect the device to a USB port or via Bluetooth;
• Compatible with a large number of web browsers;
• The popularity of the key, which is currently used by such large Internet resources as Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, etc.

The biggest disadvantage of a hardware key is that if it is lost, the user will never be able to log into their account. To reduce the risk of such a possibility, the Titan is delivered to the customer in duplicate. The first is used in everyday work, and the second is recommended to be stored in a secluded place in case of loss of the first.

Outcome

Titan Security Key is a hardware device that serves as the master password for everything the user needs. It turns out that when logging into the account, he will still need to enter a password, but in order for the action to be completed, a physical key will need to be connected to the device, which no intruder can do. Google recommends Titan Security Key specifically for network administrators, journalists, business people and political entities.

According to Google, the FIDO U2F protocol, supported by the Titan key, provides it with a high level of security, which employees of the company have experienced when no account hacks have occurred as a result of a phishing attack on passwords. And this means that the presented gadget is provided with almost invulnerable protection of confidential data of users of mobile and computing devices.