The slow march to oblivion continues for passwords, as Google Workspace is rolling out passkey functionality on its business software platform today.
Passwords are annoying and we at Tech.co aren’t the only ones that think so. In fact, a recent study found that the majority of online users are sick of passwords, and they’re more than ready for a viable replacement.
Fortunately, it looks like businesses are finally catching on, with one of the most popular business software options finally going passwordless.
Google Workspace Adds Passkey Functionality
That’s right, Google announced via a company blog post that it would be adding passkey functionality to its Google Workspace platform, effectively allowing more than nine million organizations to ditch passwords for good, if they want.
Google announced passkey functionality for personal users in May, but the feature had not been launched for business accounts until today. The service is only available in open beta for now, but the feature will almost certainly roll out to be a staple feature in a matter of time.
The passkey setting will be set to off by default, and administrators will have to turn it on for a whole organization, rather than allowing individual users to enable passkey functionality. To do so, administrators can follow this guide from Google to get started.
Are Passkeys More Secure Than Passwords?
You may be wondering if passkeys are even a better option that passwords in the first place. Heck, we’ve been using passwords for 60 years, so how bad could they be, right?
Well, the reality is that passwords have simply not kept up with the evolving phishing and hacking strategies of nefarious actors in the modern era. In fact, 60% of data breaches were perpetrated thanks to lost credentials, which shows that it’s just too easy for hackers to get a hold of your password.
Passkeys, on the other hand, are shown to be substantially more secure, allowing users to only access their account if they have the authorized device to sign in. Additionally, studies have found that passkeys are twice as fast for login as passwords, saving your team time on a daily basis.
The Future Is Passwordless
Google Workspace shifting to passkey functionality is a big moment for the passwordless movement. It will allow millions of business owners to enable the service to make online life a bit more secure for employees and customers alike. And some organizations are already on board, like Snap, the social media company behind Snapchat.
“Partnering with the Google Workspace team to move from passwords to passkeys reduces the risk of password leakage and account takeovers of our employees.” – Jim Higgins, CISO at Snap Inc.
Suffice to say, passwords aren’t going to be around forever. They aren’t nearly secure enough and everyone hates them. And when a service can’t do what it’s designed to do and nobody wants to use it anymore, a replacement is bound to fill its shoes.
