Passwords are a hassle to remember and enter, and offer only weak protection for your online accounts. Robert Irvine explains why you should now switch to passkeys
COVER FEATURE
Whether you store them in your browser, on Post-it notes or in your head, passwords are a necessary evil for protecting your online accounts. The trouble is that they don’t perform that job very well, and can prove more frustrating than reassuring.
We’ve all received alarming emails urging us to change our passwords immediately after they’ve been compromised in a data breach; been locked out of accounts when we couldn’t remember the password; or had to conjure up convoluted logins containing upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters.
The introduction of two-factor authentication (2FA) gave our accounts a second layer of security, but because 2FA methods are used in addition to passwords, and usually involve waiting for verification codes to arrive, they make signing into websites even more tiresome.
Thankfully, there is now a reliable solution to the password problem in the form of passkeys. These represent a huge step forward for online security because they’re safer, faster and more convenient than passwords – with no need to type or remember anything.
As with any new technology, there’s still a lot of confusion and uncertainty about passkeys, so in this feature we explain how they work, how to use them and which websites, apps and services currently support them.
Once you switch to passkeys, you’ll wonder why any of us ever bothered with passwords.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Sign into websites and apps without typing a thing
• Unlock your online accounts with your finger or face
• Avoid fiddly two-factor authentication methods
• Protect your personal data against phishing scams and keyloggers
• Stop your login details being sold on the dark web
• Discover which companies now support passkeys
• Log into accounts using a USB security key
WHY YOU SHOULD DITCH PASSWORDS FOR PASSKEYS
What are passkeys?
Passkey technology is a new means of securing your accounts with websites, apps and online services without using a password. It shares some similarities with two-factor authentication, which usually requires you to enter a verification code to sign into accounts, but is easier to use and saves you needing to remember or type any login details.
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