Google is stepping up its efforts to get users to ditch passwords in favor of keys, a more secure technology.
The company announced the key on Tuesday will become the default option Across Google accounts. This means that the next time users log into Gmail, YouTube or other Google-run services, they will see prompts to create and use a key instead of a password. (While keys will be a default option, users who prefer to continue using passwords will have that option.)
Master keys are touted as an alternative to passwords. By using your fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN, you will automatically be logged into the app or website (once you approve the request). Basically, it uses your device to prove that you are who you are.
They work by generating a pair of keys – a public key stored in the cloud and a private key stored on the device. If the server is compromised, the account is still protected because the hacker won’t have both sets of keys.
Supporters of the technology say it’s a more secure option because too many people choose simple passwords or use the same password on multiple websites. Even fewer use two-factor authentication.
“We’ve found that one of the most immediate benefits of master keys is that they save people the trouble of remembering all the numbers and special characters in their passwords,” Google wrote in a blog post. “They also protect against the Internet. fishing.”
Google first started supporting Skeleton Key in May, but the upgrade to that tech support is a pivot the company says it hopes will make “passwords rare and eventually obsolete.”
Google isn’t the only company pushing for master keys. Microsoft, Uber and Ebay have already enabled this technology. Apple said in June that the releases of iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma would support keys.
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