by Fingerprints, access keys and face recognition give a new pinch on passwords such as the traditional computer protection method – but also in public hesitation.
“The age of the password ends,” wrote two senior figures at Microsoft in a blog post in July.
The Tech giant has been building more “safer” alternatives to log in for years – and has since offered them to new users.
Many other online services – such as the chatgpt chatbot of artificial intelligence giant openai – require steps such as entering a numerical code emailed to the known address of a user before giving access to potentially sensitive data.
“Passwords are often weak and people reuse them” in various online services, said Benoit Grunemwald, a cyber security expert at ESET.
Advanced attackers can crack a word of eight characters or less within a few minutes or even seconds, he said.
And passwords are often the priceboat in data leaks of online platforms, in cases where “they are stored incorrectly by people supposed to protect them and keep them safe,” said Grunemwald.
A huge database of approximately 16 billion login data collected from hacked files was discovered in June by researchers from Media Outlet Cybernews.
The pressure on passwords has technical giants that hurry to find SAFTER alternatives.
– Tricky Switchover –
One group, the Fast Identity Online Alliance (FIDO), brings heavily weights together, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Tiktok.
The companies have worked on making and making password -free login methods, in particular to promote the use of so -called access keys.
These use a separate device such as a smartphone to authorize registrations, dependent on a pin code or biometric input such as a fingerprint reader or face recognition instead of a password.
Troy Hunt, whose website that I am, enables people to check whether their login details have been leaked online, says the new systems have major benefits.
“With Passkeys you cannot accidentally give your passkey to a phishing site” – a page that mimics the appearance of a provider like an employer or bank to dupe people to enter their login details – he said.
But the Australian cyber security expert recalled that the last rites were previously read for passwords.
“Ten years ago we had the same question … The reality is that we now have more passwords than ever before,” said Hunt.
Although many large platforms come up in login protection, large numbers of sites still use simple usernames and passwords as references.
The transition to an unknown system can also be confusing for users.
Passkeys must be set to a device before they can be used to log in.
Restoring them if a pin code is forgotten or lost or stolen smartphone is also more complicated than a well -known password reset procedure.
“The thing that passwords have for them, and the reason we still have them is that everyone knows how to use them,” said Hunt.
Ultimately, the human factor will remain the core of computer security, said Eset’s Grunemwald.
“People will have to take good care of security on their smartphone and devices because they are the most focused things” in the future, he warned.
MNG/TGB/TW
