Google has bought SlickLogin, an Israeli security startup that uses high-frequency sounds to verify users before they log into sites.
SlickLogin announced the acquisition on its site, stating that it had been acquired by Google, though terms of the deal are not yet known. Google separately confirmed the acquisition.
The idea behind SlickLogin is to act as a secondary mode of verification or as a password replacement. The service allows users to log into SlickLogin-enabled sites simply by keeping their phone near their PC.
When logging into a site or service, your PC generates a sound inaudible to the human ear that’s picked up by an app on the phone. That acts as a second-factor of authentication to log you in on your PC.
According to TechCrunch, Google acquired the service five months after launch and while it was still in closed beta – presumably before it had time to solve issues such as stolen phones being used to log into sites.
Google hasn’t said what it plans to do with SlickLogin, but it’s possible the service could be rolled into its existing two-step verification service.
SlickLogin noted that Google was one of the first to offer the service to all users.
“Today we`re announcing that the SlickLogin team is joining Google, a company that shares our core beliefs that logging in should be easy instead of frustrating, and authentication should be effective without getting in the way,” the firm said on its site. “Google was the first company to offer two-step verification to everyone, for free – and they’re working on some great ideas that will make the internet safer for everyone.”
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