Password management company 1Password is launching the public beta version of its new passwordless login technology called passkeys. The tool aims to replace traditional passwords with more secure and convenient passkeys that cannot be reused, guessed, leaked, or stolen.
“Last year, we joined the FIDO Alliance and committed to building safer, simpler, and faster login solutions for everyone. Today, we’re taking a major step forward and announcing that passkey support has started to arrive in 1Password,” said Travis Hogan, Senior Product Manager at 1Password.
The beta version currently supports several major browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Safari. 1Password applications for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux have also been updated to allow users to manage and use passkeys.
Are Passkeys Better than Passwords?
Passkeys offer several advantages over traditional passwords:
Security: Passkeys utilize public key cryptography and only parts of the passkey are shared with websites, requiring access to your device to authenticate. This prevents unauthorized access even if the passkey is compromised.
Convenience: Signing in with a passkey is fast as there is nothing to type. Users simply go to the website and 1Password handles the authentication.
Organization: Users can store and manage all passkeys along with passwords in 1Password for a centralized way to protect their online accounts.
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To create and use passkeys, users need to open a website that supports passkeys using 1Password’s beta browser extensions. If allowed, they can choose to set up an account with a passkey. 1Password will inform the user where the passkey will be stored and will automatically log the user in with that passkey on future visits.
“Saving passkeys in 1Password will keep your digital life organized,” said Hogan. “You’ll know when it’s possible to secure your accounts with passkeys… 1Password remembers where you’ve chosen to use passkeys.”
Later this summer, 1Password plans to introduce the ability to unlock a 1Password account itself using a passkey rather than a password. The company is also working on full passkey support for Android and iOS applications. “Passkeys are the future. And the future has finally arrived,” Hogan emphasized.
Remembering All Passwords is Hard, That’s What 1Password Wants to Solve
Source: Comparitech.com
1Password announced its intentions to make passkeys central to its password management solution back in February when it posted a blog post explaining how the technology would work and the benefits it could bring to users.
The main problem with passwords is that users have to memorize them. With so many websites and applications nowadays demanding the creation of an account to access their services, it can get very hard for people to remember every single password they have created.
What is worst, there is a tendency to use the same password on every website and app. This creates a security weakness if the person is hacked as criminals would gain access to virtually every single system and account the user has by using the same credential.
To reduce the burden of having to memorize every single password, tools like 1Password have emerged to allow users to safely create and access their library of passwords.
However, these companies are being increasingly targeted by criminals as gaining access to their systems can result in massive breaches that would affect thousands if not millions of individuals and organizations.
Some prominent cases seen lately include LastPass, a password management tool owned by the tech company GoTo, whose systems were breached and this resulted in the undesired exposure of the personal information – not passwords – of thousands of clients who were targeted by criminals later by using phishing techniques.
With passkeys, access to applications and websites would be tied to a unique marker such as a biometric credential and the data required to perform the login process will be encrypted and hidden so hackers are unable to steal it.