Passwords vs passkeys: What you need to know

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Remember the wild west days of the very first iPhone? No password, no PIN, just swipe and you are in. Imagine the chaos! Our phones turned into digital treasure chests filled with banking information and the deepest secrets, Apple and others had to slam the vault shut. PINs, passwords, biometrics- security became lord. Here is the hook: many times, we hand the keys to the kingdom over to the users. That 0000 PIN really is clever, isn’t it? Come on! “Password” is unhackable? Better yet, just leave your front door wide open.

Throw out your entire knowledge of passwords. A new king is coming: Passkeys. So-called by its supporters, the really revolutionary method of authentication plans for a password-less future, with the backing of these titans in tech and the acceptance of a growing number of websites.

So, what are passkeys and how do they differ from passwords? Here’s what you need to know.

In the beginning, there were passwords and problems

For as long as we can remember, passwords – those cryptic strings we hold so dearly – have kept barricades over our digital lives. What about those neon-lit, anxiety-ridden sequences in 80s techno-thrillers WarGames or Tron? As old as they are, those movies documented a sort of prototype, very early glimmer into the world of digital security-a world unsteadily protected by whatever predecessor the password you use today evolved from.

Some decades later, are we still mired in dark ages of digital exploits? Too many sit by their gates to the cyber kingdom, watching “password123” scribbled on a post-it – a glowing invitation to hackers saying, “Welcome!”

The underbelly of the digital world is a veritable zoo teeming with increasingly vicious hacks and data leaks. Guardians of IT systems and services have had an unenviable task of herding users into an online fortress, often against loud protests. Websites impose their will on the user to come up with impenetrable passwords: sprawling character counts with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and cryptic symbols. More and more (infuriatingly, still very few) have started employing robust encryption. The objective is to make stolen data into an indecipherable mess, a jumbled code that would require eons to decode for any hacker and make their ill-gotten gains utterly useless.

Ever try to shut the door on hackers? Two-factor authentication Deadbolt. After entering your password, 2FA sends a one-time code to your phone or email-a personal Bat-Signal of sorts-to confirm that it is indeedyouwho is trying to get in. The ultimate “prove you’re human” test for your digital life.

Let’s be real: no password strategy is bulletproof. Two-factor authentication? Worthless if your messages get hijacked in a SIM swap. VPNs, malware protection, uncrackable passwords? They all go down the drain if you just click on that phishing link or spill the beans to an eloquent scammer. Digital armor is great, but human error is the ultimate vulnerability.

So, what are passkeys?

Tired of remembering endless passwords? Meet the passkey, your newfound digital fingerprint. Unlike a typed-in password, a passkey is an unhackable handshake between your device and the website. It’s a two-part puzzle: secret keys safe inside your phone or computer and matching public keys on the website side. At login, these keys utter a secret greeting, granting immediate access-without any password involved.

A diagram of a passkey’s workflow, from the FIDO Alliance.

(FIDO Alliance)

Consider an ultra-unique Key that can be termed as an almost-unstolen passkey that can unlock your digital life. Passwords offer flimsy security and become vulnerable when stored by the websites that are compromised by hackers; passkeys, however, do not leave a user’s device, secured by encryption. Think of it as Fort Knox for your online accounts-key. Now, for an interesting twist: it’s paired withyou. Facial recognition or fingerprint scan is the final barrier. So if a thief manages to grab your device, all he’ll be staring at is a biometric brick wall. Good luck brute-forcingthat. Passkeys: where security meets simplicity.

What’s the difference between passwords and passkeys?

To recap, here are the major differences between passwords and passkeys:

Gone are the days for a password, which is one flimsy gate painstakingly either crafted by a user or a password manager. Now imagine a fortress enabled by an uncrackable, system-created passkey-not shared with any party but only between one’s device and the service.

• Passwords are only as complex as the user makes them, whereas passkeys are completely unique. “Passwords? Digital doors begging to be picked. Passkeys? Fort Knox in your pocket – hackers need not apply.”

• Where passwords are universal, passkeys are currently supported by a smaller (but growing) number of websites and applications. “For instance, a password, which one can change daily if he or she wishes, is a very flexible type of security practice that keeps shifting, while with a passkey you have little to worry about.”

• Passkeys are phishing-resistant, whereas there is always a threat with traditional passwords.

Which are better: Passwords or passkeys?

Tech giants like Apple, Google, Microsoft are on the passkey rug, but millions of websites are options stuck in the password stone age. The FIDO Alliance is pushing hard for passkeys to be the new gold standard, but will it ever really beat the password? For now, the passwords just stay in charge.

Are you prepared to ditch passwords? Great choice! But take it easy. Don’t just dive in. Dip a toe in first. Select a few accounts that don’t matter too much- Amazon wishlists, Target deals, or whatever you would call leveling up a Nintendo/Sony profile. See how those passkeys go down. Life is good? Superb! One by one begin putting your digital existence on the upgrade track. The feeling isn’t quite there? No worries. For now, passwords will remain your trusty sidekick while the tech minds try to iron out the kinks.

Why you should invest in a password manager

Venturing into the world of online protection? Password managers are your indispensable clients. They transform your digital life into Fort Knox. These lords of security lock in traditional passwords along with contemporary passkeys, granting you gory access to your online kingdom, regardless of passkey or password method.

Amidst all the threats online, password managers act as the first line of defense. While many offer support for passkeys and have strong password generation, 1Password stands above them all. 1Password is our pick to secure your digital life and uses AES-256 encryption with the highest standards, which is trusted by government agencies and Fortune 500 companies, all embedded within an easy-to-use interface.

Plans start at $36 per year

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Tired of the password chaos? 1Password conjures impenetrable passwords and lurs them in a digital vault accessible from all your devices. Logging in becomes easy, as it automatically fills in the credentials. Sharing passwords with family-goes easy, secure, and manageable-now no compromises on insecure workarounds like shared-docs or paper lists that loudly scream “security breach!”

Should troubleshooting passwords give you the blues, 1Password can be all yours for under one latte. Included is the raft of passkey and password security, along with a year’s worth of effortless logins. Family plan? Secure up to five accounts for $7 a month ($60 a year). Unlimited devices, no headaches. Dive in risk-free: try 1Password for 14 days, and witness the zen of secure simplicity.

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