Is Password Era Ending? Biometric Technologies Gain Traction Amid Hesitation Over Security

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Biometric technologies like fingerprints, facial recognition, and access keys are increasingly replacing traditional password , though public hesitation remains. In a July blog post, two senior Microsoft executives declared that“the password era is ending.”

Microsoft has been developing more secure login alternatives for years and, since May, has made these options the default for new users. Other digital services, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, have also adopted enhanced verification steps-such as requiring users to enter numerical codes sent to verified email addresses, to protect access to sensitive information, as reported by AFP.

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"Passwords are often weak and people re-use them" across different online services, said Benoit Grunemwald, a cybersecurity expert with Eset.

Sophisticated attackers can crack a word of eight characters or fewer within minutes or even seconds, he pointed out.

And passwords are often the prize booty in data leaks from online platforms, in cases where "they are improperly stored by the people supposed to protect them and keep them safe," Grunemwald said, as reported by AFP.

One massive database of around 16 billion login credentials amassed from hacked files was discovered in June by researchers from media outlet Cybernews.

The pressure on passwords has tech giants rushing to find safter alternatives.

Tricky switchover

The Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, which includes major tech players like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and TikTok, is working to phase out passwords in favor of more secure and user-friendly login methods.

A key focus of their efforts is the promotion of access keys-a password-free authentication system that uses a separate device, such as a smartphone, to authorize logins. Instead of entering a password, users confirm their identity through a PIN code or biometric input, like a fingerprint or facial recognition, enhancing both security and convenience.

Troy Hunt, whose website Have I Been Pwned allows people to check whether their login details have been leaked online, says the new systems have big advantages.

"With passkeys, you cannot accidentally give your passkey to a phishing site" -- a page that mimics the appearance of a provider such as an employer or bank to dupe people into entering their login details -- he said.

But the Australian cybersecurity expert recalled that the last rites have been read for passwords many times before.

"Ten years ago we had the same question... the reality is that we have more passwords now than we ever did before," Hunt said.

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Although many large platforms are stepping up login security, large numbers of sites still use simple usernames and passwords as credentials.

The transition to an unfamiliar system can also be confusing for users.

Passkeys have to be set up on a device before they can be used to log in.

Restoring them if a PIN code is forgotten or trusted smartphone lost or stolen is also more complicated than a familiar password reset procedure.

"The thing that passwords have going for them, and the reason that we still have them, is that everybody knows how to use them," Hunt said.

Ultimately the human factor will remain at the heart of computer security, Eset's Grunemwald said.

"People will have to take good care of security on their smartphone and devices, because they'll be the things most targeted" in future, he warned.

(With inputs from AFP)

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