At the WWDC 2022 event, Apple just demonstrated how Safari is in macOS Ventura will support ‘passkeys’, A login standard created with cross-platform support to enable logins that don’t use passwords at all. Apple is not alone in this effort, as last month Google and Microsoft joined forces with Apple to announce their new step forward for a long-in-development plot. To kill passwords once and for all.
By avoiding the use of passwords altogether, they should prevent users from falling victim to phishing attacks, social engineering, or bot attacks that plug passwords taken from databases of leaked passwords. Alternatively, you can use a device (such as your phone or computer) as the primary authentication device, so using Face ID, Touch ID, or entering the device’s PIN will be enough for you to sign in to various services across the web.
Apple demonstrated how “passkeys” are backed up inside iCloud Keychain to enable syncing across your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, with end-to-end encryption, as well as the QR codes you use to pair the phone with the system. When used to sign in to a service, the physical keys remain on your device, which is another measure to keep them safe.
The passwordless authentication standard was created by the FIDO Alliance and promises to offer support across different platforms. Apple, Google, and Microsoft have said they expect to support the new system on their platforms over the next year, and based on this demo, macOS Ventura and iOS 16 will be among the first ways to try it out.
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