Apple and Google plan to KILL passwords with new system – how it works

TECH giants aim to scrap the password and replace it with a smarter, more secure, multi-device authentication system.

The announcement was made on World Password Day.

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It’s a rare day when Apple, Google, and Microsoft work together rather than as rivals.

The effort to eliminate passwords is being spearheaded by two organizers of Internet modernization, the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium

A new verification system requires users to authenticate their identity on a second device, such as a phone or tablet.

The FIDO Alliance wrote in a white paper that the elimination of passwords “reflects an evolutionary step in the FIDO ecosystem, providing phishing-resistant authentication at a scale that rivals that of password-based authentication deployments.”

Using a phone or tablet as an authenticator reduces the human element of digital security.

61% of people use the same password across multiple accounts – this can put the user at risk of a security breach across their platforms

FIDO’s solution is partially supported by Bluetooth, which confirms the user’s physical proximity to the device they are logging on to.

“These new features are expected to roll out to all Apple, Google and Microsoft platforms over the course of the coming year,” wrote a FIDO blog.

Most companies and media are calling the new password style “Passkey”.

“By working together as a community across platforms, we can finally achieve that vision and make meaningful strides in eliminating passwords,” said a Microsoft executive.

The big three tech players — Apple, Google, and Microsoft — have been in competition for decades.

While most founders are no longer with their companies – Steve Jobs died in 2011 and Bill Gates left Microsoft in 2020 – the companies they founded are working in sync to clear the password.