Google recently joined the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance's board of directors in order to bolster their two-factor authentication efforts. NXP and CrucialTec have also joined the board according to a press release published by FIDO.
FIDO plans to use a number of different technologies to help strengthen security measures across the web. Biometric verification is one of the technologies that FIDO will invest resources in. This method of authentication is reliable for identifying an individual as it uses distinguishable traits like fingerprints, voice recognition, eye scanning and face authentication to verify a user.
One Time Passwords is another technology high on FIDO's list. As the name suggests, OTPs can only be used once. They are generated randomly and can only be retrieved by a special device or via computer. If you need an idea of exactly how this works, look no further than Battle.net's Mobile Authenticator.
It should come as little surprise that FIDO is also interested in Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. This is one of the more common technologies already in the hands of consumers thanks to smartphones and tablets. It works by putting two devices with NFC chips near each other so they can communicate successfully.
These are just a few of the technologies that FIDO will likely adopt although a timeframe hasn't been announced as of yet. The initiative was created in part by Lenovo and PayPal last year to help reinvent the most basic security measure: the password.