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Passwords are a problem. They’re often too easy to guess, hack, and steal through phishing attacks. Password managers have made it easier to use secure passwords but I’d wager that many of you reading this still use the same password for multiple accounts or have passwords that are not very strong. But Google has been looking to change that, and passkeys are a major part of that transformation. This World Password Day, Google has released a Keyword blog post that provides updates on the passkey program and it tells a very promising story.
Passkeys – What are they, and why do they matter?
Passkeys are like digital keys stored on your device. They’re used alongside your built-in security methods like fingerprint scanners or facial recognition. When you want to log in to a website or service, the passkey handles it with one simple biometric scan. No more complex passwords to remember.
Most importantly, they’re far more resistant to phishing attacks, which are a major source of data breaches. If there’s no password to intercept, cybercriminals have a much harder time getting in.
And you might read this and think this is still a new technology slowly finding its footing, but Google’s data tells another story. In under a year, passkeys have been used over 1 billion times across 400 million Google Accounts. That’s impressive growth, and users are feeling the benefits too. According to Google, passkeys are about 50% faster to use than traditional passwords. It’s really a win-win for convenience and security.
Better protection, new features
But it’s not just about the headline figures. Google is strengthening its entire security ecosystem, too. With cross-account protection expansion, Google is making it easier to protect all your accounts at once. Security notifications from your Google Account will be shared in a privacy-conscious way with other apps and services you use. This helps those services spot suspicious activity early, preventing one compromised account from becoming a gateway for hackers to exploit more of your online presence.
People most likely to be targeted by sophisticated cyberattacks are getting another layer of defense also with Passkeys for high-risk users. Google’s Advanced Protection Program, designed for people like journalists and political figures, will soon support passkeys. This means those users can rely on the convenience of passkeys without sacrificing the intense security that their work demands.
But what if you want to use a dedicated password manager to organize your passkeys? Now you can! Companies like 1Password and Dashlane are integrating passkey management APIs directly into their Android apps and other versions of their software. This gives users more ways to keep their passkeys secure and accessible how they prefer.
The password revolution has arrived
While the end of the traditional password might not be tomorrow, it’s certainly on the horizon. Google, alongside companies like Amazon, Kayak, Shopify, and others, are spearheading a new era of secure, seamless logins. In the end, less time spent on passwords means more time actually doing what you want online. Want to get ahead of the curve? Create a passkey for your Google Account today. Your security and your future self will thank you!
