There shall be Recovery Key no more come iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan.
Apple on Wednesday confirmed that the security feature will be removed from its future operating systems.
Currently, the Recovery Key system in Apple’s “two-step” protocol works as a failsafe for accessing an Apple ID when a registered trusted device or phone number is unavailable. Under the existing setup, losing both a trusted device and Recovery Key renders the account inaccessible, which has in the past forced some users to abandon their Apple IDs altogether.
Apple’s new two-factor authentication method will remove 14-character recovery keys and replace this with a live customer support recovery process. The feature removal is just one modification Apple plans to apply when two-factor authentication rolls out later this year.
Other security enhancements were revealed in a recent support document, including longer six-digit verification codes and more intuitive authentication alerts that work across iOS and OS X platforms. Text message and phone call verifications to trusted numbers will also remain available.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider, Macworld and Apple
One reply on “Apple to do away with Recovery Key as part of Two-Factor Authentication in iOS 9, OS X 10.11 El Capitan operating systems”
“Live customer support recovery process”? Someone explain to me how this is more secure. Oh, wait: security isn’t the goal here, now is it?