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EveryKey/YouTube

The man behind McAfee wants to remove passwords from the equation

EveryKey is a Bluetooth-powered device that can unlock accounts and devices when you’re close by

THE CO-FOUNDER OF McAfee antivirus software has returned to the cybersecurity market with a ‘master key’ for smart devices.

John McAfee started a crowdfunding campaign for EveryKey, a Bluetooth-powered device that can unlock phones, laptops and other Bluetooth-enabled devices automatically.

Much like other similar Bluetooth devices, users link the device to their accounts so when it’s near a phone or laptop, they will automatically unlock. When it moves out of range, all devices lock.

The device uses military-grade encryption and every time it unlocks a device, the message it broadcasts is different from the previous one, preventing anyone from intercepting and gaining access to all accounts.

Everykey-Unlock-Animation Everykey / IndieGoGo Everykey / IndieGoGo / IndieGoGo

If you lose it, you can freeze it remotely and manually enter in passwords instead. The device can come in the form of a USB thumb drive or a fitness band.

The product has already surpassed its $20,000 (€18,302) goal on IndieGogo and has already raised more than $60,000 (€54,907) so far. It plans to start shipping the first devices in March.

John McAfee has been involved in a number of controversies in recent years. In 2012, he went on the run after his neighbour was found dead at his home in Belize, South America. Although he was jailed in Guatemala, he was deported back to the US and is now based in Montreal, Canada.

When Intel announced it would be dropping the McAfee name last year, he said he was “everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing me from this terrible association from the worst software on the planet. These are not my words, but the words of millions of irate users”.

Everykey / YouTube

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Quinton O'Reilly
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