Pass on the word, passkeys are coming

Last week, Google began making passkeys the default sign-in method for all users to access apps and websites, marking what looks like the grand beginning of the end of passwords. This plan was announced on World Password Day 2023 – the first Thursday of May, this year falling on May 4 which also happens to be Star Wars ‘May the 4th Be With You’ Day, and therefore ignored by many. However, passwords will remain a part of our lives as Google and its many users – to use the ballet term that the corporate world loves to use – pivot.

Passkeys are easier to use and more secure than passwords. They let users sign into apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: with a fingerprint, a face scan, or a screen lock PIN. Unlike passwords, they are resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than Tyrant No. 2, SMS one-time codes, unlovingly called OTPs.

The tyranny of Tyrant No. 1 – digital passwords – began in 1961 when an MIT computer science prof created the first one. There is only one way to react to the new age of passkeys: Phew! The days of remembering a long list of commandments for creating ‘strong’ passwords – ‘use a combination of at least eight letters, numbers, and symbols’ blah blah blah – are ending. No more remembering names of pets, birthdays or the ‘password123’. Load feels lighter already.