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Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) is an open authentication standard that strengthens and simplifies two-factor authentication using specialized USB or NFC devices based on similar security technology found in smart cards. While initially developed by Google and Yubico, with contribution from NXP Semiconductors, the standard is now hosted by the FIDO Alliance.
U2F Security Keys are supported by Google Chrome since version 40 and Opera since version 40. U2F security keys can be used as an additional method of two-step verification on online services that support the U2F protocol, including Google, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Nextcloud, Facebook and others.
Chrome and Opera are currently the only browsers supporting U2F natively. Microsoft is working on FIDO 2.0 support for Windows 10 and the Edge browser, but has not announced any plans to include U2F support. Mozilla is integrating it into Firefox, and support can currently be enabled through an addon.