On May 3rd, 2023, Google announced that it will be rolling out passkeys for Google Account users globally. The news came nearly after a year Google, Apple, Microsoft, and FIDO Alliance announced a collaboration to make passwordless login a reality across devices, browsers, and different operating systems. Google Account users around the globe can activate passkeys by logging into their Google Accounts, however, it is entirely optional as passwords and other authentication mechanisms are still in play. Please note that Google Passkeys are live only for personal accounts at the time of writing this news. Google says that the Workspace admins will have the option to enable passkeys for their users “soon.”
What are passkeys?
Passkeys might sound similar to passwords, but it is a relatively more secure login method that is introduced to mitigate the flaws of the password login method. The only people who wouldn’t love the passwordless sign-in method are the hackers. Why? If someone hacks a company server to access passwords, they are likely to find nothing because there are ‘No Passwords” – well, that’s the core motive of introducing passkeys. Passkey allows you to safely log on to your online accounts using your biometrics (fingerprint or face) or PIN. To eliminate the risks of passwords getting leaked, passkeys ensure there are no physical passwords that can be leaked in the first place.
Also read: Top 25 Android Secret Security Codes You Should Know
Need for Passkeys
There’s no doubt that the Password and other authentication mechanisms offer reasonable security, but they aren’t the best. With ever-growing technology,
cybercriminals can crack passwords and break into any of your accounts with ease. Even though we have already seen two-factor authentication as a preventive measure, it’s not safe either. That’s because an authentication code sent to you via SMS can also be intercepted by hackers. Therefore, a passwordless sign-in method like passkey is more than welcome.
Also read: Here’s how to setup passkeys on Android and Google Chrome
Google is not the only one to adopt Passkeys
Google is not the only one that has stepped forward in adopting the passkey. Last year, Apple also announced that Passkey support will be there in iOS 16, and with iOS 17 coming this year, Apple is likely to improve Passkey support on iOS devices. Let’s not forget that the macOS Ventura, the latest macOS launched by Apple last year, also supports Passkeys. That’s not all, currently, Microsoft also supports passwordless login to your Microsoft Account via Windows Hello or security keys.
Also read: How to set up Passkeys on iPhone & Mac
That’s all for now. If you are looking to get detailed information about how Passkeys work and how it is better than traditional passwords, make sure to read our guide.
Banner Image Source: Google
