Goodbye Passwords, Biometric Authentication is Coming

What would the world be like without passwords? We will soon find out thanks to major technology companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft. The first recorded case of using a password, at least in terms of digital systems, occurred in the 1960s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was used in a compatible time-sharing system (CTSS) to restrict access to user accounts. The password has been an excellent protection system for nearly sixty years, but it seems that this era is coming to an end. No more birth dates, long-deceased pets, or passwords that make IT professionals cringe. The time of 1,2,3,4,5,6… passwords is over as Google has just taken another significant step towards the complete elimination of the legendary password.

A new report from Nordpass reveals that 83 percent of the most common passwords globally can be hacked in less than one second. According to Nordpass, the most common password among Americans last year was the word ‘guest’. ‘123456’ was the second most common password, and in third place was simply ‘password’.

This is not surprising as today every person has who knows how many different accounts online, making it difficult for many to remember a large number of different passwords, leading them to opt for these simple, easy-to-remember, and less secure options.

What are passkeys?

Recently, technology companies, including Google, Apple, and Microsoft, have launched access keys known as ‘passkeys’ to offer a more secure way to log into various accounts.

Passkeys allow users to log into applications and websites in the same way they unlock their devices: via fingerprint, facial recognition, or a PIN on the lock screen. Unlike passwords, methods like passkeys are resistant to online attacks such as phishing, making them even more secure than one-time SMS codes.

This means that passwords will soon be replaced by biometric information, which may not please everyone, but ‘experts’ say it will be safer and easier for end users.

Last week, Google announced that passkeys are now available for Google accounts on most major platforms. This means that when a user wants to log into their Google account, their web browser or operating system will assist them in selecting and using the correct passkey. The experience is similar to how saved passwords function today. To verify that the rightful owner of the account is using the passkey, the system will prompt you to unlock your device. This will be done through biometric sensors (fingerprint or facial recognition), a PIN, or patterns.

Passkeys work across the entire operating system infrastructure that allows passkey managers to create, back up, and generate passkeys that are available to the running application. On Chrome for Android, passkeys will be stored within the Google Password Manager, which will synchronize them with the user’s Android device logged into the same Google account.

Users are not limited to using passkeys on the device where they are stored; for example, they can use them to log into a laptop even if it has not been synchronized. There are also other drawbacks as authentication is tied to smartphones and smartphone batteries, so it is unclear how to access accounts if, for instance, your smartphone runs out of battery.