This Monday (5), Google announced a novelty that it considers to be the arrival of the passwordless future in the corporate world. As of this date, the company has allowed its users to log in to Workspace and Cloud accounts, in an open Beta version, using access keys instead of passwords.
According to the official statement, the initiative comes to reinforce the company at the forefront of defense and attack technologies against hackers. Additionally, the Mountain View giant becomes the first and only cloud provider to provide passwordless login to private organizations and the public sector.
Login using access keys promises greater protection for the user, since passwords are understood to be easy to crack, lose or make companies’ security vulnerable.
According to data from the US operator Verizon, more than 60% of data breaches that occurred in 2021 involved stolen credentials or the practice of phishing – when the cybercriminal uses a “bait” to get the victim’s sensitive information.
Furthermore, IBM statistics have shown that these cybersecurity issues caused by phishing cost organizations an average of $4.91 million. Not counting the October 2022 study by SlashNext, which indicates a 61% increase in this type of attack. with a sum of 255 million in six months.
Access keys are considered alternatives to using conventional passwords when accessing an account. They can work through fingerprint, facial recognition or other screen lock mechanism on cell phones, notebooks or desktops.
As it is based on biometrics and does not depend on the user’s memory, it makes it even easier for the user. Google data from March to April 2023 shows that these keys are twice as fast and four times less error-prone than conventional codes.
The same research also points to stronger protection of security keys than SMS, one-time passwords for apps or other forms of two-factor authentication (2FA) against risks such as automated bots, massive attacks of phishing and targeted attacks.
It is worth remembering that Google had already strengthened security for Workspace at the end of February this year, by introducing new encryption features to tools such as Gmail and Calendar.
So, did you like the news that is starting to be implemented for Worskpace and Cloud users? Comment with us!
