Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Facebook Advances Delegated Account Recovery Protocol

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    April 18, 2017
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      password security

      In February, Facebook announced its initial plans for Delegated Account Recovery, providing sites with an open-source protocol and method to securely retrieve and reset account and password information. At Facebook’s F8 conference today, the social networking giant expanded its Delegated Account Recovery effort with software development kits and tools to help any site deploy the technology.

      Delegated Account Recovery provides a more secure mechanism for resetting a lost or forgotten account password. Many websites today provide email-based reset options, which are generally considered to be insecure. With Delegated Account Recovery, rather than emailing a password or account reset link to a user, a site or service delegates the capability to recover an account to an account controlled by the same user at a third-party service provider. That service provider to date has been Facebook and until today the only site using Delegated Account Recovery has been GitHub.

      It’s not clear at this point how many users have benefited from Delegated Account Recovery at GitHub. Brad Hill, security engineer at Facebook, said the initial protocol was released a few months back, but GitHub has not disclosed figures around its usage or engagement.  

      The protocol itself hasn’t changed much since its release.

      “We have had the protocol available for study by the security community and our bug bounty researchers since February and have not uncovered any security issues so far,” Hill told eWEEK. “This is not unexpected, but it is always good to have others test your assumptions.”

      With today’s update and SDK release, Delegated Account Recovery can be more broadly used, though there are still some limitations. Hill said that any site can use the SDKs and documentation to build a recovery flow that integrates with Facebook. 

      “At the moment, however, developers will only be able to try it out with test users,” Hill said. “Once you have a working implementation, applying for the early access beta program allows you to turn it on for use by real people.”

      It’s now also possible for individuals and organizations other than Facebook to be Delegated Account Recovery service providers, though there might be an issue of trust to overcome.

      “The question of trust is an interesting one that both services and individuals have to make,” Hill said. “Today, most services trust any email provider that their customers choose for recovery, and we hope that because Delegated Account Recovery offers a higher level of security for recovery than email, there will eventually be broad customer choice in what services you can use beyond Facebook.

      “We are encouraging other identity providers to explore offering Delegated Account Recovery, and we hope that for the accounts that matter to you most, you’ll be able to use Facebook in combination with one or more other accounts to help you recover,” he added.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×