Remembering your passwords can be a pain, but getting tricked by a phishing attack is even worse. Fortunately, Google predicts that both of them will be history in the next 10 years.
Google's Claims for the Future of Cybersecurity
You can read all of the claims on Google's blog, The Keyword. In the article titled "telegraphing the future of security," Google experts weigh in on how they think cybersecurity will change in the future.
There are many interesting thoughts in the article, but a particularly fascinating nugget is from Mark Risher, the Director of Product Management, Identity and User Security at Google.
When Risher was asked, "where do you think the security industry will be in 10 years?" he had this to say:
Phishing will no longer be a successful attack vector for bad actors. Passwords will be a thing of the past as we see widespread adoption of a secure by default framework. Our advancements in authentication and verification technology will completely transform how users sign in to their accounts, moving from a sea of passwords to continuous, device-based authentication that seamlessly connects us to our content wherever we are.
It seems like a huge stretch to move to a passwordless world, but perhaps Risher's prediction isn't as far-fetched as we may first think.
How Can We Exist Without Passwords?
It's hard to imagine an internet without passwords. After all, if we don't use passwords to log into our favorite websites and services, how do we prove that we are who we are?
One solution is biometrics. Instead of logging into websites using passwords, we could use a device that scans a part of our body that's unique—like a fingerprint, for instance. In fact, we already have ways to sign in to websites and services using our fingerprints, and Microsoft recently pushed to make 2021 the year we move to biometrics.
But what if we go one step further and create a device that acts as our digital passport for the internet? Every time you want to log in online, you can fetch your device and use it to scan your fingerprint to authenticate yourself to the service. Perhaps you can use it for making online payments, too.
If this sounds good to you, you may be surprised to learn that such a device already exists—your smartphone. Google already has a way to sign in to your Google account using your smartphone, as described on its Support page for passwordless sign-in. And modern-day phones typically use fingerprint scanners to authenticate you.
As such, if we move to a world where your smartphone is your digital passport, you don't need passwords anymore; just scan your finger to prove you're you. And, in a passwordless world, scams that depend on tricking you into revealing your password won't work... like phishing.
While imagining a world without passwords may be tricky, it's not too unbelievable when you think of the ways people can authenticate themselves using current technology. And once the password gets the boot, scams like phishing will wither away with it.
Is It Time for the Password to Pass Away?
When asked about the future of cybersecurity, Risher from Google says that passwords and phishing will likely go away in the next 10 years. It's a brave prediction, but it's a lot less wild than you may first think.
If you want to get ahead of the passwordless curve, why not grab a USB fingerprint scanner? They're cheap, easy to install, and helps you get rid of the pesky password.
Image Credit: Alexander Supertramp/Shutterstock.com