Dashlane, Google unveil password management project 'YOLO'

New York-based password manager, Dashlane that also operates as a digital wallet for secure identity and payments has partnered with Google to launch an open source Application Programming Interface (API) project to enhance user security and secure data breaches. In association with other undisclosed password managers, the joint offering proposes to develop ‘Open YOLO’. Not the motto that is popular with the youth but, ‘You Only Login Once’, that aims to enable App Developers, access passwords stored in password managers to easily and securely log users into their Android applications. The combined forces constituting different password managers, believes Dashlane, will contribute in security and software development expertise to further design, and implement the open API. While it allows its users to securely manage passwords, credit cards, IDs, and other important information via advanced encryption and local storage, it will interesting to find out how Google plans to accelerate security for users of all devices. Open YOLO will be used first on Android, but it will eventually expand to other platforms and operating systems, says the company. Emmanuel Schalit, CEO, Dashalane, said:

This is an important initiative for our industry and for the state of user security. Collectively, we are committed to increasing user security and believe that the best way to do this is to champion open source security projects which Dashlane has done earlier this year by becoming the first password manager to adopt the FIDO Alliance’s Universal Second Factor (U2F) authentication standard. We look forward to expanding this collaborative project that will benefit the entire security industry.

In a company blog, Dashlane added:

This project is the first big step towards making security simple and accessible for every user, on every device. In the future, we see this open API going beyond just Android devices, and becoming universally-implemented by apps and password managers across every platform and operating system. Ultimately, we look forward to expanding this collaborative project, so that it will benefit the entire security ecosystem as a whole.

However Open YOLO is not Google’s first foray into security management. Earlier it had launched login and identity platform, Smart Lock Passwords Manager. Google had vouched that its Smart Lock API helped apps and sites increase their sign-up and sign-in rates with added support to sync pass phrases on Android. It works with Android devices, Chromebooks, Chrome browser and select applications. Iain McGinniss, Software Engineer, Google, also commented:

Google is excited to support the launch of this project with Dashlane and help create a new open standard for app authentication. This project is part of our longstanding support of open technology standards that provide great and secure user experience to end users.