1Password ditching passwords
1Password has announced its plans to roll out support for biometric passkey technology on its platform in the coming months.
The company says passkeys are easier to use, harder to steal or crack, and built on standards designed to make logging in faster and more secure.
However, it is ironic that the company plans to ditch the feature that is the basis for the name of its product.
“For passkeys to be the way forward, it’s not enough for them to replace some of your passwords,” 1Password’s chief product officer, Steve Won, said.
“They have to be able to replace all passwords — including the one you use to unlock 1Password.”
Won noted that the company’s decision to implement the change couldn’t come at a better time, with the frequency of credential-based phishing attacks accelerating recently.
“In 2022, it was rare that a month went by without a high-profile social, identity, or security service being breached,” he said.
Passkeys are unique and more secure than passwords. They’re created and stored on your devices and aren’t shared with 1Password’s cloud service.
Apple users will be able to use Touch ID on MacOS and Face ID on iOS to access their accounts.
Windows users will have to enter their 1Password account username on the company’s webpage and scan a QR code with their smartphone to use biometrics to unlock their accounts.
The company says passkeys will unlock the following benefits for 1Password users:
- The ability to create a 1Password account without a password or Secret Key;
- Quick sign-ins on new devices;
- The ability to unlock 1Password on Mac, PC, and in browsers using your smartphone; and,
- Accelerated onboarding for enterprise users or friends and family.
1Password first hinted at passkey in November 2022, suggesting they could implement the security feature in early 2023.
However, the company has confirmed to The Verge that users can expect passkey support to go live in spring 2023 in the US — sometime between March and May.
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