New Delhi: Passkeys, a new method of login that doesn’t need a password, has been getting a lot of attention from Google recently. The firm has declared that passkeys are the standard method of logging into user accounts.
Tech giants see passkeys as the future of security and are aggressively supporting their use, which might hasten the day when passwords become outdated. In October 2022, Google started adding passkey functionality to the Android operating system and the Chrome web browser; in May 2023, the company made the feature available for individual Google accounts.
With passkeys now the default technique, future sign-in requests will urge the user to generate and utilise a passkey. Passkeys replace the need for a password whenever you want to access your Google account.
This #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, skip your password and try passkeys for an easier and more secure sign-in. Just use your fingerprint, face scan or screen lock. Go passwordless and create a passkey for your Google Account → https://t.co/yU63EU7Jji #SaferWithGoogle pic.twitter.com/8rdkxOPam9
— Google (@Google) October 10, 2023
The “Skip password when possible” option in your Google Account settings will also be activated when you enable passkeys. This implies that using a passkey to log in is voluntary, and you may revert to the standard password login at any time.
Passkeys are a ‘passwordless’ but safe alternative that enables the user to log in to applications and services on their smartphone and other devices using biometric identification, and their adoption is part of a bigger movement away from notoriously insecure passwords. To unlock your smartphone using a passkey, you need just a fingerprint, facial scan, or pin.
Passkeys can also prevent you from being a victim of phishing while online.
A blog post published by Google on Tuesday said that users will soon be required to set up a passkey to access their Google accounts. A passkey is a secret used for authenticating oneself online, such as a password or a Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) token saved on a mobile device.
According to Google, they are 40% quicker than passwords and depend on a more secure kind of encryption. Enabling passkeys also eliminates the need to memorise lengthy passwords full of digits and symbols. They can also avoid being phished.
You can now use passkeys — an easier, more secure alternative to passwords — to sign in to @eBay, @Uber and @WhatsApp on Android and Chrome with your fingerprint, face scan or screen lock. Learn more → https://t.co/MizTGBDq2l #SaferWithGoogle #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth pic.twitter.com/e2Mt0muZ3H
— Google (@Google) October 11, 2023
Passkeys have been available to access Google services like YouTube, Search, and Maps since earlier this year.
