Science & Technology

Google begins offering ‘passkeys’ to replace passwords

Published

2 years ago

May 7, 2023

Good news for all the password-haters out there: Google has taken a big step towards making them an afterthought by adding “passkeys” as a more straightforward and secure way to log in to its services.

Here's what you need to know:

What are passkeys?
Passkeys offer a safer alternative to passwords and texted confirmation codes. Users will not ever see them directly — instead, an online service such as Gmail will use them to communicate directly with a trusted device to allow the user to log in, Associated Press reported.

All users have to do is verify their identity on the device using a PIN unlock code, biometrics such as fingerprints or face scans, or a more sophisticated physical security dongle.

Google designed its passkeys to work with a variety of devices, so users can use them on iPhones, Macs and Windows computers as well as Google’s own Android phones.

Why are passkeys necessary?

Thanks to clever hackers and human fallibility, passwords are too easy to steal or defeat. And making them more complex only opens the door to users defeating themselves.

For starters, many people choose passwords they can remember — and easy-to-recall passwords are also easy to hack. For years, analysis of hacked password caches found that the most common password in use was “password123”.

A more recent study by the password manager NordPass found that it is now only “password”. This isn’t fooling anyone.

Passwords are also frequently compromised in security breaches. Stronger passwords are more secure, but only if users choose ones that are unique, complex and non-obvious.

And once you have settled on “erVex411$%” as your password, good luck remembering it.

In short, passwords put security and ease of use directly at odds. Software-based password managers, which can create and store complex passwords, are valuable tools that can improve security.

But even password managers have a master password that needs protection — and that plunges users back into the swamp, AP reported.

In addition to sidestepping all those problems, passkeys have one additional advantage over passwords. They are specific to particular websites, so scammer sites cannot steal a passkey from a dating site and use it to raid bank accounts.

How do I start using passkeys?

The first step is to enable them for a user's Google account. On any trusted phone or computer, open the browser and sign into the Google account. Then visit the page g.co/passkeys and click the option to “start using passkeys”.

If on an Apple device, the user will first be prompted to set up the Keychain app if it is not already in use. This securely stores passwords and now passkeys as well.

The next step is to create the actual passkeys that will connect a trusted device. Android phones are automatically ready to use passkeys, though users still have to enable the function first.

On the same Google account page noted above, look for the “Create a passkey” button. Pressing it will open a window and let users create a passkey either on the current device or on another device. There is no wrong choice; the system will simply notify users if that passkey already exists.

If on a PC that cannot create a passkey, it will open a QR code that users can scan with the ordinary cameras on iPhones and Android devices. Users may have to move the phone closer until the message “Set up passkey” appears on the image.

And then what?

From that point on, signing into Google will only require an email address. If passkeys are set up properly, users will simply get a message on their phones or other devices asking them for their fingerprint, face or a PIN.

Of course, their password is still there. But if passkeys take off, odds are good users will not need it very much. Users may even choose to delete it from their accounts someday.

Related Topics:#google #Passkey Internet Tech

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Science & Technology

Russia fines Google more than the world’s total GDP over YouTube bans

Published

5 days ago

October 31, 2024

Ariana News

Russia has fined Google $2.5 decillion after the US tech giant took action against pro-Kremlin TV channels on YouTube following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia imposed a daily fine four years ago - a fine that has since swelled to an unprecedented level - ($20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 - a 33-digit figure).

To put this into perspective, global GDP reaches an estimated $110 thousand billion (12-digit figure), according to the IMF.

Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, one expert, Roman Yankovsky from the HSE Institute of Education, said Google “clearly will not pay this penalty, and the Russian Federation will not be able to recover this money from the company."

Euronews reported that a short calculation shows that he is right.

Google's holding company, Alphabet, has a market capitalisation of slightly more than $2 trillion. Even with earnings of $80.54 billion from the last quarter, the tech giant doesn’t seem to be able to afford to pay the fine.

Google first barred pro-Moscow channel Tsargrad TV, which is owned by oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, four years ago.

At the time, Google was fined a daily penalty of 100,000 roubles and warned that amount would double every 24 hours if it went unpaid.

The original fine has been compounded by further penalties after Google eventually blocked a total of 17 Russian TV channels as a result of international sanctions, The Telegraph reported.

The tech giant now owes a staggering $2.5 decillion.

Science & Technology

Apple launches new iPad mini with AI features

Apple said it would roll out the first set of AI features in the U.S. version of the English language this month through a software update with iPadOS 18.1.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 16, 2024

Ariana News

Apple on Tuesday launched its new generation of the iPad mini packed with AI features including writing tools and an improved Siri assistant, as the iPhone maker races to boost its devices with artificial-intelligence capabilities, Reuters reported.

The new iPad mini is powered by Apple's A17 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. With a six-core central processing unit, the A17 Pro would boost CPU performance by 30% compared to the current generation iPad minis and is central to running Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI software.

Apple said it would roll out the first set of AI features in the U.S. version of the English language this month through a software update with iPadOS 18.1.

The features will be available for iPads with A17 Pro or M1 chips and later generations, Apple said, adding it will roll out additional features including image-generation tools, Genmoji and ChatGPT-powered capabilities over the next several months, read the report.

Apple in September unveiled its long-awaited, AI-boosted iPhone 16 lineup, but with the AI features still in test mode, the company failed to excite some investors while early sales data raised some questions around demand.

Still, research firm Canalys on Monday said the iPhone 16 would help Apple's sales in the fourth quarter and drive momentum into the first half of 2025, after Apple reached a record high third-quarter shipments.

The iPad mini, starting at $499, is available for pre-orders starting on Tuesday and will begin arriving to customers and Apple store locations next week, Apple said.

Science & Technology

Iran sends satellites to Russia for rocket launch

In September, Iran carried out its second satellite launch this year using a rocket built by its Revolutionary Guards

Published

3 weeks ago

October 13, 2024

Ariana News

Iran has sent two locally made satellites to Russia to be put into orbit by a Russian space vehicle, the semi-official news agency Tasnim reported on Saturday, in the latest space cooperation between the two U.S.-sanctioned countries.

The development of Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and Hodhod, a small communications satellite, is the first substantial effort by Iran's private space sector, the report said.

Russia sent Iranian satellites into orbit in February and in 2022, when U.S. officials voiced concern over space cooperation between Russia and Iran, fearing the satellite will not only help Russia in Ukraine but also help Iran monitor potential military targets in Israel and the wider Middle East, Reuters reported.

Kowsar could be used in agriculture, natural resource management, environmental monitoring, and disaster management, Tasnim said.

Hodhod is designed for satellite-based communications and could be used in remote areas with little access to terrestrial networks.

In September, Iran carried out its second satellite launch, this year using a rocket built by its Revolutionary Guards.

The launch came as the United States and European countries accuse Tehran of transferring ballistic missiles to Russia that could be used in its war with Ukraine. Iran has denied this.