They are called passkeys and they are called to change the way we relate to passwords and the challenges they pose. Google, Apple and Microsoft teamed up last year to end passwords and it was precisely the great G that was the first to announce that the passkeys were already coming to Android phones at the end of 2022. If you are not very clear what are passkeys, how are they used and how to create one to replace a passwordIn this article we will tell you step by step.
What are passkeys and how do they work?
Until a few months ago, password management was reduced to either create our own passwords trying to make them as secure as possible or opt for a password generator. Whichever option you choose, so that you do not forget it is advisable to go to a password manager. In this scenario we face risks such as forgetting them (if we do not have them stored), their reuse, their leaking and, as a consequence, potential phishing attacks. What’s more, not even two-factor authentication is a guarantee of total security. In a world that is increasingly connected and dependent on digital services, dealing with passwords is a challenge And it is precisely from this need that the passkeys or access codes arise.
The passkeys are created by authenticating our device. Or what is the same: that to access a website or an application it will be necessary use biometric systems such as fingerprint or face or our PIN, so that Google verifies our identity and allows us to enter. No more is needed.
That you use your face or your PIN to enter your account on a website does not mean that you are sending this sensitive information to a serversince as detailed by the Google engineering team “With passkeys, the user’s biometric information is never revealed on the website or in the app. Biometric materials never leave the user’s personal device“. Likewise, the protocols of the access keys prevent the use of information shared with sites as a tracking vector, that is, they do not allow the tracking of users or devices between sites and, in addition, they are not repeated between different services.
For the creation of the passkey, Google, Apple and Microsoft have come together with the Fast Identity Online Alliance (abbreviated known as FIDO), a consortium of technology firms, government agencies and vendors whose goal is to say goodbye to passwords, something they have been working towards for almost a decade. The conjunction of Google, Apple and Microsoft together with the FIDO guarantees the application of an industry standard that guarantees minimum security in terms of credential storage, recognition system and implementation of the passkeys in different applications, services, operating systems and websites.
…but some password will still stand. As we explained in the paragraphs immediately above, it is necessary for our Android phone to have a PIN and/or a biometric system, so although we have considerably reduced the number of passwords in our day-to-day lives, we are still not saying goodbye to them completely.
What happens if my mobile is stolen? If the PIN and the biometric systems of the phone are the key to everything, losing it can be an even greater drama. Don’t panic (too much): in that case the thieves would have to unlock it. If they need to format the device to use it, then access to your accounts is lost. In the worst case, if they have access data to enter without formatting, then there is a risk.
How to create a password
Google started rolling out passkeys late last year to Android and Chrome, so you can already deal with them across different services. You don’t have to do anything special, but when you enter an application or website and it asks you to create an account or enter it, then a message will appear inviting us to create a certain passkeymoment in which we will have to verify our identity with biometric systems or the PIN.
When the process is finished, that passkey will be synchronized and saved safely in the Google password managerwhich will allow us to use it when we need it or export it to another device if we change phones.
The next time we want to enter said website or application, a screen will appear again with an interface very similar to that of Google’s autocomplete that will suggest use the previously entered passkey and how to identify ourselves.
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