Passwords are a problem that companies are always trying to fix, but they are still essential for accessing pretty much anything online. And even now people aren’t changing them after a breach and then still use the same password to access multiple sites.
Reused passwords are a potential security problem because if a password has been compromised once, then hackers can use it to access other accounts if it’s been used as the sign-in for another site.
Truth be told, passwords are annoying for most people. If you look at the best practice password advice, it’s creating work for everyone:
- Generate long random character passwords rather than using everyday words that can be guessed by cyber criminals’ automated software
- Use a different password for every single application
- Never write passwords down or share with a colleague
This is why we tell our clients to use a password manager. It’s a safe way to generate highly secure passwords, store them, and fill in login boxes so you don’t have to.
Recently we’ve heard that tech giants Microsoft, Apple and Google have joined forces to kill off the password and introduce its replacement.
That’s called a passkey.
It’s very simple. To login to something, you’ll use your phone to prove it’s really you.
Your computer will use Bluetooth to verify you’re sat nearby. Because Bluetooth only works a short distance, this should stop many phishing scams.
Then it’ll send a verification message to your phone. You’ll unlock your phone in the usual way, with your face, fingerprint, or PIN.
And that’s it. You’re logged in.
We could see this new no-password login being introduced to some of the world’s biggest websites and applications over the coming year. Exciting!