Apple says it's game over for the password

apple passkey
(Image credit: Apple)

We've lost count of the times the password was pronounced dead, but with Apple’s latest launch, this time it might be for real. The company has announced a “new way to make the web a safer place” - replacing passwords with a new feature it calls Passkeys.

Presenting the security key feature to the world at WWDC 2022, Apple’s VP for internet technologies, Darin Adler described Passkeys as a “next-gen credential that’s more secure, easier to use, and aims to replace passwords for good”.

Passkeys use “powerful cryptographic techniques and the biometrics built into the device” to keep accounts safe, Adler explained, with users simply needing to use TouchID, or FaceID, to authenticate to a new web app, mobile app, or service in order to create a passkey.

Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022end of this survey

Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022. Help us find how businesses are preparing for the post-Covid world and the implications of these activities on their cybersecurity plans. Enter your email at the end of this survey to get the bookazine, worth $10.99/£10.99.

Unhackable password

This then creates a unique digital key that only works on the site it was created for.

According to Adler, passkeys can’t be phished since they never leave the device they were created on, and they can’t be leaked, nor hacked, since nothing secret is being kept on any web server. 

He also explained that Passkeys were designed to work with apps, as easily as they do with the rest of the web. They are instantly available, and securely synced, across Apple devices, including Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices, through the iCloud Keychain service.

What’s also interesting is that Apple won’t be confining this feature to its products and services, only. The company teamed up 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’ll be able to walk up to a non-Apple device, and sign in to a website or app using just your iPhone,” Adler concludes. “We look forward to a passwordless future.” 

Whether or not Apple’s nail ends up being the last one in the password’s coffin, remains to be seen, but with such a large and devoted user base, we’d give Apple a good fighting chance. 

TOPICS

Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.

Read more
Person using finger print authentication
Passwords out, passkeys in: The future of secure authentication
digital key
Microsoft really wants users to ditch passwords and switch to passkeys
Hand holding smartphone and scan fingerprint biometric identity for unlock her mobile phone
Passwordless authentication continues to grow, with biometrics helping push adoption
Young woman working at a coffee shop with a laptop
Too many passwords, not enough brain space? Here’s how password managers can improve your life
password manager
I'm a security expert - here are my biggest tips for creating a secure password for work and home life to stay safe online
1Password partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 team
1Password is making it easier to find passwords based on where you are
Latest in Security
Representational image depecting cybersecurity protection
GitLab has patched a host of worrying security issues
China
Volt Typhoon threat group had access to American utility networks for the best part of a year
Abstract image of cyber security in action.
MassJacker malware targets those looking for pirated software
Code Skull
US government warns Medusa ransomware has hit hundreds of critical infrastructure targets
An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky
The FCC is creating a security council to bolster US defenses against cyberattacks
Image depicting hands typing on a keyboard, with phishing hooks holding files, passwords and credit cards.
Microsoft warns about a new phishing campaign impersonating Booking.com
Latest in News
Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso pointing at someone in Ted Lasso season 2
Believe it, baby: Ted Lasso season 4 is officially in development for Apple TV+ and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the titular soccer coach
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #1146)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #377)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #643)
Rainbow Six Siege X promotional art.
The Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X 6v6 mode might finally pull me away from Black Ops 6
A close up of the new web version of Apple Music Classical
Apple Music Classical is now available on the web, but its Mac app is still nowhere in sight