Google is making passwords passé and announced that it will start prompting users to create and use passkeys, an alternative to passwords, simplifying their future sign-ins. This also means users will see the “Skip password when possible” option toggled on in their Google Account settings. Google's announcement on Tuesday (Octover 11) comes during the Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The tech giant has said it is making passkeys more accessible by offering them as the default option across personal Google Accounts.
Tech firms have set a goal to make passkeys the new login standard.
Earlier this year, Google rolled out support for passkeys, which is a simpler and "more secure" way to sign into accounts online. Google has said it received positive feedback from our users.
How To Use Passkeys
To use passkeys, users have to just use a fingerprint, face scan or pin to unlock their device, and they are 40 per cent faster than passwords, Google has claimed. Passkeys essentially rely on a type of cryptography that makes them more secure.
"But while they’re a big step forward, we know that new technologies take time to catch on — so passwords may be around for a little while. That's why people will still be given the option to use a password to sign in and may opt-out of passkeys by turning off 'Skip password when possible'," Sriram Karra,
Senior Product Manager and Christiaan Brand, Group Product Manager, Google wrote in a blog post.
"We’ll keep you updated on where else you can start using passkeys across other online accounts. In the meantime, we’ll continue encouraging the industry to make the pivot to passkeys — making passwords a rarity, and eventually obsolete," Karra and Brand added.
What Are Passwordless Passkeys
Passwords are typically the first line of defence in our digital lives. However, they are usually at risk of being phished, leaked in data breaches, and even suffering from poor password hygiene. In an attempt to tackle these, Google previosuly introduced features such as two-step verification and Google password manager. However, passkeys are much more advanced and are considered to be a better and safer replacement for passwords and traditional types of authentication. Also, passkeys cannot be reused or leaked in data breaches. Once the user has a saved passkey on his device, it can show up in autofill when the person is signing in to become more secure.