Passwords can be something of a pain. It’s recommended
that users create unique keywords for each device and account, but the tendency
for most is to use the same password multiple times or make them so simplistic
that they often are easy for hackers to access.
That could soon change as Apple, Yahoo, and Alphabet,
the parent company of Google, are all working on ways to eliminate the password
altogether, at least on mobile devices. Alphabet is testing a password-free
program for signing into accounts with a smartphone, while Apple introduced its
Touch ID fingerprint biometric feature with the iPhone 5S.
“Twenty years ago, I never could have imagined the
world we live in today, and I’m sure the next decade will be just as
unpredictable,” Gerhard Eschebeck, head of security and privacy engineering for
Google, said in a report for CBS News. “But I’m also sure that 10 years from now, whether we’re changing
legacy systems like passwords or taking on new challenges like networked
devices and the Internet of Things, working together to share security
knowledge and solutions will be our best shot at handling whatever challenges
the future throws at us.”
The Google program includes what it’s calling a
“security key” to the standard two-step verification process. The security key
uses encryption to make sure only the user who has the key can access the
account. Google is trying to develop technology that allows Android users to
respond to alerts with their phones instead of passwords, and recognizes the
user through speech patterns and typing, according to a report in InformationWeek.
The Apple Touch ID feature allows users to log in with
the touch of a finger, but only a small percentage of apps take advantage of
the option. However, iOS developers are in the process of creating more apps
that use Touch ID.
Yahoo
launched a mobile mail app last October called Account Key that requires users
to confirm an attempt to log into an account through a notification sent to the
smartphone, according to a report in TechCrunch. At the same time, Microsoft is working on a biometrics security
feature for its Windows 10 operating system.
