A Brazilian startup has developed an authentication process that uses government-issued electronic ID documents and NFC phones to provide users with an additional level of security when logging in to online services.

The aim is to "combat the theft of passwords and fake profiles on the internet," Paulo Bitar, co-founder and CEO of RD2Buzz, has told NFC World.

The TapToLogin platform, currently in beta, uses electronic passports issued by the Brazilian government in combination with Android NFC phones and PIN numbers to authenticate access to Facebook and Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.

To use the service, users download the TapToLogin app, enter their passport data, select the online services they wish to use with TaptoLogin and set a password. Then, whenever they need to login to a service, they simply tap their phone to their passport, choose the service they wish to connect to and enter their PIN.

In the future, Bitar and co-founder Eduardo Piovesam say they hope to make TapToLogin available for a wide range of online ID applications, including secure access to online government services, cross validating ID during ecommerce purchases, check-ins and reward schemes for airlines as well as opening bank accounts online and conducting financial transactions.

Versions of TapToLogin for Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Windows Phone and iOS are also planned for the future.