UAF can stand as an acronym for many different things.
Is it the University of Alaska Fairbanks?
Could be. But not in this case. In this case it is reference to the Universal Authentication Framework
The framework is describing a protocol for passwordless authentication. It is putting at work different authenticators and crypto together to provide secure and convenient way of authentication.
An authenticator is a way to prove to a computer system that you really are who you are (called authentication)
UAF Authenticators may take different forms. Implementations may range from a secure application running inside tamper-resistant hardware to software-only solutions on consumer devices.
Some examples could be:
- Fingerprint scanner (like one you can find in iPhone or Samsung S6 phones)
- Pin verification
Short for cryptography, the science of coding and decoding messages so as to keep these messages secure. Coding (see encryption) takes place using a key that ideally is known only by the sender and intended recipient of the message.