Industry associations GlobalPlatform and the FIDO Alliance have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to improve online authentication standards, according to a press release.

The groups are working to ease FIDO authenticator development on GlobalPlatform-based secure component products. This is intended to enable service providers to efficiently incorporate user authentication features — such as voice recognition and biometrics — as part of their GlobalPlatform-secure deployments, according to the announcement. 
 
The FIDO Alliance is striving to make online authentication simpler and stronger by defining open, scalable and interoperable protocols that reduce reliance on passwords, according to the organization's mission statement. The joint work initiative with GlobalPlatform will bring FIDO authentication to GlobalPlatform specifications on secure elements and trusted execution environments.

"Service providers managing applications on GlobalPlatform-compliant secure SE or TEE products will be able to utilize FIDO's leading authentication functionality, without additional development costs," said Gil Bernabeu, technical director of GlobalPlatform. "Combining our technology expertise in this way will enable us to promote industry adoption of user authentication in a commercially viable and user-friendly manner."

Mid-term, GlobalPlatform will simplify the development of secure FIDO authenticators in products which achieve its SE and TEE functional product qualification and TEE security certification.

"We embrace every opportunity to work with associations, such as GlobalPlatform, that share a common desire to improve online authentication through the development of open, scalable industry standards," said Brett McDowell, FIDO Alliance executive director. "SE and TEE technology plays an important role in isolating and protecting sensitive applications, and there is real value to the market in bringing these standards together. We look forward to sharing further updates as this activity progresses."