The End Of Passwords Is Near With New Web Authentication Standard

Passwords are annoying. They need to be memorized and when there are multiple accounts, multiple password combinations are necessary, which will also need to be memorized. There’s also the matter of security risks of the passwords getting broken. To finally put an end to this near-universal nightmare, a new Web Authentication standard was launched with the expressed intent of making passwords obsolete.

The work of the FIDO Alliance and W3C, the new authentication standard for the web is basically a way to encrypt user data without having to rely on passwords. It only specifically targets passwords, as well, since all other encryption methods such as fingerprint readers and USB keys are still on the table for those who use them.

It won’t completely replace passwords if the user doesn’t want to get rid of the feature or the website prefers to still keep the security option. The authentication standard can simply serve to reinforce the level of protection that users get. Though, it’s worth pointing out that a password would be overkill at that point.

Aside from the fact that it makes accessing online services infinitely easier compared to remembering every single password combination that has ever been typed in a box, this new service also decreases the likelihood of multiple breaches. There are a lot of times when accounts get hacked because they used the same passwords for every online service. With this new web standard, this becomes less of an issue.

This particular feature is already available on the Mozilla Firefox browser, Engadget reports, and it will soon become available with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The rollout won’t be for a few months, but it’s coming.

It might also be worth noting that this encryption technology is still in its infancy. As such, it might be a while before the end of the reliance on password truly comes to an end.