John McAfee rattles tin for password replacement tech

Much delayed tech in renewed funding drive

Infosec wild man John McAfee has taken time off from his US presidential campaign to launch a fresh funding drive for a password replacement product.

The proximity-based authentication and access control product, dubbed EveryKey, is also touted as a replacement for physical keys, as the pitch explains.

Everykey replaces your passwords and keys. When Everykey is close to your phone, laptop, tablet, house door, car door, or another access-controlled device, it unlocks that device.

When you walk away, that device locks back down. Everykey can also log you into your website accounts. If you lose your Everykey, you can remotely freeze it, so no one else can use it.

Everykey, which is designed to be paired with an associated smartphone or laptop using Bluetooth, would also store a password keychain.

The whole idea is still at the prototype stage despite three years of development and repeated delays. Estimated delivery currently stands at March 2016.

McAfee, chief evangelist at Everykey, has launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund production for Everykey. Would-be early adopters have already shelled out $61K with 13 days of the funding drive still to run.

A YouTube promo video of McAfee demoing EveryKey can be viewed below.

The idea tackles an all too real problem but caution is still advisable. Infosec consultant Paul Moore argues that there's still little to show for the project after three years of development and multiple delays.

"It's a great idea with (I believe) real potential... but talk of "receiving samples" after three years and $1.2 million dollars of investment, frankly, worries me no end," Moore writes. ®