All news with #passwordless tag

🔒 Enterprises have pursued a passwordless future for more than a decade, yet deployment is stalling as legacy systems, industrial and IoT devices, and custom apps often lack support. A recent RSA report found 90% of organizations face coverage gaps or poor user experience, leaving most firms able to cover only about 75–85% of use cases. Experts warn that enrollment, recovery, and fallback mechanisms frequently reintroduce passwords and expand attack surfaces unless those flows are made as phishing-resistant as logins.

🔒 WhatsApp is rolling out passkey-encrypted chat backups on iOS and Android, allowing users to secure backups with biometrics or a device screen lock instead of a password. Passkeys rely on a device-generated private/public key pair so the private key never leaves the device, reducing exposure to credential theft. Users can enable the feature under Settings > Chats > Chat backup > End-to-end encrypted backup. Meta has begun a global rollout that will reach users over the coming weeks and months.

🔐 Passwordless authentication reduces reliance on passwords by using device-bound keys and local verification. The post explains that passwordless is inherently multi-factor: a device factor plus a local secret such as a PIN or biometric. Biometrics and PINs unlock a private key stored on the device and are not transmitted or centralized, reducing theft and replay risks. It also describes protections that make this approach highly phishing-resistant.

🔒Modern guidance favors long, memorable passphrases over short, complex passwords. Length provides far more effective entropy than symbol substitution, making offline brute-force attacks exponentially harder for attackers using modern GPU rigs. Passphrases lower helpdesk resets, discourage insecure reuse, and align with NIST recommendations. Implement by raising minimum length, dropping forced complexity, and blocking compromised credentials in real time.

🔐 Google has launched Recovery Contacts, a new option that lets users designate trusted friends or family to help regain access to a Google Account when other recovery methods aren’t available. When you request help you share a one-time code with your chosen contact; they receive an email or notification and confirm the code to verify it’s really you. Your recovery contact cannot access your account or personal data, and the feature is currently rolling out.

🔒 Google is introducing Recovery Contacts, a new account-recovery option that lets you designate trusted friends or family to help regain access if you lose a password or device. When you request help, you share a one-time verification code with your chosen contact; they receive an email or notification and confirm the code to verify it’s really you. Your recovery contact will not have access to your account or personal data. The feature complements passkeys and existing recovery tools and is rolling out now.

🔐 Organizations facing rising phishing and ransomware threats are moving from passwords to PKI-based authentication to close gaps in traditional MFA. Certificates issued by a trusted CA and backed by asymmetric cryptography replace passwords and vulnerable SMS codes, improving both security and usability. Automated lifecycle management and user self-service reduce administrative overhead, while crypto-agility preserves long-term resilience.

🔐 October's Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds users that passwords alone no longer provide reliable protection. Adopt MFA wherever possible—prefer authenticator apps or hardware security keys over SMS—and consider emerging passwordless options such as passkeys. Organizations should enforce strong authentication to protect systems, customers and reputation. Watch ESET's video with Tony Anscombe for practical guidance.

🔐 CrowdStrike announced three enhancements to Falcon Next‑Gen Identity Security: FalconID, expanded privileged access controls, and identity‑driven case management. FalconID delivers FIDO2-based, phishing-resistant passwordless MFA via the Falcon for Mobile app, combining Bluetooth proximity checks with contextual telemetry to block credential phishing, MFA fatigue, and session hijacking. Privileged access updates add just-in-time workflows, Microsoft Teams request/revoke, Fusion SOAR automation, and hybrid coverage including local systems (early access). Identity-driven case management integrates identity detections into Falcon Next‑Gen SIEM and automates analyst response (generally available).

🔐 Passwordless authentication aims to replace fragile passwords with modern, standards-based alternatives to improve security and usability. The piece stresses the central role of the FIDO Alliance and the emergence of Passkeys as an industry evolution. It compares ten vendors — including Okta, Yubico, HYPR and CyberArk — describing device-based cryptographic keys, biometrics, TPM protection and enterprise integrations. Deployment options range from hardware tokens to managed passkey services and offline, air-gapped support to ease migration.

🔐 Principal Financial replaced brittle knowledge-based authentication with a digital ID verification and biometric platform to block account takeovers. Using DIVA with a focus on facial recognition and an implementation by Onfido (an Entrust company), the insurer completed rollout within months. The change has virtually eliminated fraudulent registrations and improved user success and completion rates while preserving usability.

🔒 In this edition of the Smashing Security podcast Graham Cluley and guest Thom Langford examine how some password managers can be tricked into auto-filling secrets into cookie banners via a clickjacking sleight-of-hand. They discuss practical defenses for website owners and hardening steps for users to protect their personal vaults. The episode also covers post-quantum concerns—"harvest-now, decrypt-later"—Microsoft’s 2033 quantum-safe commitment, and device update risks including printers, plus lighter segments like a dodgy URL "shadyfier" and repurposing an iMac G4 as a media hub.