Strong passwords aren’t enough to secure your most sensitive accounts. You want two-factor authentication (2FA), which is becoming standard across many industries and services. Here’s everything you need to know about 2FA.
Passkeys take security a step further by eliminating passwords. Here’s what you need to know.
Dream of a world with no passwords?
Passkeys are unique digital keys that are more secure than 2FA. Rather than entering a traditional password to access your account, you’ll sign in by unlocking your computer or phone with your fingerprint, face or a PIN.
Passkeys exist only on your devices, meaning no one can hack your account thanks to a data breach or finding the password you scribbled down on a piece of paper.
Apple introduced its Passkey with iOS 16 as a quick and easy way to get into your accounts using Face ID or Touch ID. Because passkeys are synced with your iCloud Keychain, you can use them across Apple devices. Tap or click here for details and setup instructions.
Not one to be left behind, Google just announced its passkey system
Google climbs aboard
You can now create and use passkeys on your personal Google account. When you add a passkey to your Google account, you’ll be asked for it when you sign in or perform sensitive actions on your account.
The passkey is stored on your computer or mobile device, which will ask for your screen lock biometrics (fingerprint, face scan) or PIN to confirm it’s you. Google says your biometric data is never shared with it or a third party and the screen lock only unlocks the passkey locally.
You can still use a password to log in to your Google account since passkeys aren’t supported by all devices and apps yet. This will change as more companies adopt the security system.
How do passkeys work?
With 2FA, you’re probably used to using your phone whenever you want to sign into an account or device. You can create a passkey for each if you use multiple devices, such as a laptop, tablet and PC.
Depending on the platform, you could back up and sync your passkeys to all your devices. This is convenient if you lose a device and are locked out of your account, and it also makes it easy to upgrade to newer gadgets.
Enable passkeys for your Google account
To start using passkeys on your personal Google account, visit g.co/passkeys. Log in and click Create a passkey and follow the onscreen instructions.
If the worst happens and you lose your device, you can revoke the passkey from your account settings at myaccount.google.com/signinoptions/passkeys.
Note: Your device may not support passkeys, especially if it’s older.
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