Almost two years ago, Apple, Google, and even Microsoft embarked on the journey to create a passwordless future for all, thus, dismissing the need for passwords and making authentication more secure. At present, these three tech giants have taken further steps in this endeavor by announcing plans for a passwordless sign-up process standard for all devices. Here are the details to know.
Passwordless Sign-Ins Will Soon Be Available
Google has now announced that it will soon bring passwordless sign-ins created by FIDO Alliance to Android and Chrome users. This is expected to start happening by the end of this year. Apple and Microsoft will also join Google in bringing this standard to their respective platforms.
The aim is to simplify the process of logging into a device, a website, or an app without the need for a password. This is expected to be a much safer way, considering that passwords are more prone to malicious activities. Plus, maintaining passwords can be a task for many!
How will this work? You will be required to unlock your device (via fingerprint scanning, face unlock, or any other option) and you will be able to access the app or the site with ease without the need for signing up with a password. This is possible as your device will now store a FIDO credential or a passkey to access the account.
For passwordless access to a site on your PC, you will simply be required to keep your phone nearby and it will be done. No need to use the phone again. In case the device is no longer with you, you can still have access to your passkey as they will be securely backed up to the cloud.
To recall, while various tech companies already support the FIDO standard for passwordless logins, it earlier required users to sign in to the website or the app before going passwordless. Now, this won’t be the case.
Andrew Shikiar, executive director and CMO of the FIDO Alliance, says, “Simpler, stronger authentication’ is not just FIDO Alliance’s tagline — it also has been a guiding principle for our specifications and deployment guidelines. Ubiquity and usability are critical to seeing multi-factor authentication adopted at scale, and we applaud Apple, Google, and Microsoft for helping make this objective reality by committing to support this user-friendly innovation in their platforms and products“
The FIDO Alliance also suggests that service providers can also offer passwordless logins as an alternative sign-in or account recovery method. This will further make getting access to an online account much easier and safer too. So, what are your thoughts on this? Are you up for a passwordless near future? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments below.
