Hello Start9 Team and Community,
I’m a Start9 Server Pure owner, and I’d like to suggest adding native YubiKey hardware security-key authentication to StartOS as an additional layer of security.
Start9 is built around self-sovereignty, privacy, and security, and I believe hardware-based authentication would be a valuable addition to that philosophy.
Specifically, I’d love to see:
- YubiKey FIDO2/WebAuthn support for the StartOS administrator login.
- Optional two-factor authentication (2FA) requiring both the administrator password and a physical security key.
- Support for multiple registered YubiKeys, allowing users to maintain a backup key.
- Secure recovery options in case a security key is lost or damaged.
- Potential support for passwordless passkey authentication in the future.
I understand that StartOS already implements several important security protections. However, adding hardware-backed authentication could provide another layer of protection against compromised passwords, phishing, and unauthorized administrative access.
For users who operate Bitcoin nodes and self-host other important services, protecting the server’s administrative interface is especially valuable.
I also came across an earlier community discussion requesting 2FA, so it appears there has been interest in this functionality for some time.
A few questions for the Start9 development team:
- Is native YubiKey or FIDO2/WebAuthn authentication currently being considered for StartOS?
- Is hardware-based 2FA on the development roadmap?
- If not, would the team consider adding it as an optional security feature in a future release?
I believe this would be a meaningful improvement for users who want maximum control over the security of their self-hosted infrastructure.
I’d also be interested in hearing whether other Start9 users would find this feature useful.
Thanks to the Start9 team for continuing to develop and improve the platform!