Google declares passkeys, a modern and more secure method of verifying a user’s identity, as the default sign-in option for all users. This transition is part of Google’s ongoing effort to shift towards password-less authentication. 

This transition has aptly been made during Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM). Traditional text-based passwords are often less secure than passkeys using biometric information like fingerprints or facial recognition. 

This year’s CSAM is focusing on ‘securing our world,’ and who better to align with this trend than major tech companies like Google. Other companies like Apple, Microsoft, eBay, and Uber have also made passkeys available to users. 

The decision to make passkeys the default option comes five months after Google initially introduced support for this technology. Google claims it had “really positive feedback” from its users. 

“To use passkeys, you just use a fingerprint, face scan or pin to unlock your device, and they are 40% faster than passwords — and rely on a type of cryptography that makes them more secure,” said Google in a release. 

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According to them, passwords will stay for a while, and customers will be given the option to use a password, and toggle the use of passkeys. Google asserts that this new approach offers enhanced security, superior to password and multi-factor authentication (MFA) combinations. 

The advantages to passkeys include heightened resistance to phishing attacks, as they are designed to work only on their registered websites or apps. Google claims it also reduces server vulnerability, since the developer only needs to store the public key on the server instead of the password.

Passkeys also side-step the need for MFA, which cyber-criminals are now finding creative ways to use to their advantage or bypass. The passkey also stays registered on their account, meaning any new device they use can be accessed instantly without the need to re-enroll.

Finally, passkeys simplify the user experience, eliminating the need for users to remember usernames and passwords, streamlining the sign-in process.