We lost the times of the password (opens in new tab) was declared dead, but with Apple’s recent launch, it really could be this time. The company has announced a “new way to make the web a safer place” — replacing passwords with a new feature called Passkeys.
Presenting the security key feature at WWDC 2022, Darin Adler, Apple’s vice president of internet technologies, described passkeys as “next-generation credentials that are more secure, easier to use, and aim to replace passwords once and for all.”
Passkeys use “powerful cryptographic techniques and device-built biometrics” to protect accounts, Adler explained, while users simply need to use TouchID or FaceID to authenticate to a new web app, mobile app, or service. to create them a master key.
Unhackable password
This then creates a unique digital key that only works on the website it was created for.
According to Adler, passkeys cannot be phished (opens in new tab) as they never leave the device they were created on and they cannot be leaked or hacked as nothing is kept secret on any web server.
He also explained that passkeys are designed to work with apps just as easily as they do with the rest of the web. They are instantly available via iCloud Keychain Service and securely synced across all Apple devices including Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV devices.
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It’s also interesting that Apple won’t limit this feature to just its products and services. The company has partnered with other industry leaders in the FIDO Alliance, which includes both Google and Microsoft, to ensure the Passkeys service works seamlessly across different platforms.
“With the Passkey, you can go to a non-Apple device and just use your iPhone to log into a website or app,” Adler concludes. “We look forward to a passwordless future.”
Whether or not Apple’s nail will be the last in the password’s coffin remains to be seen, but with such a large and devoted user base, we’d give Apple a solid shot.
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