APPLE is plotting to do away with passwords – warning that they’re a major hacking risk.
The tech giant wants your iPhone to use a new “passkey” system that makes passwords redundant.
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Cyber experts have been issuing warnings about passwords for years.
Simple passwords are easily guessed – and even complicated ones can be hacked or leaked.
We’re now signing in to more apps and services than ever before, and more of our personal lives are now on the internet.
Now Apple is introducing passwordless logins on iOS 16 for iPhone and macOS Ventura for Mac later this year.
The major change was announced earlier this week at Apple’s WWDC 2022 event.
And it’ll take shape in September, when iOS 16 launches alongside the rumoured iPhone 14.
It works using a new system called Passkeys.
Instead of signing up (or logging in) to a website using a password, you’ll use a Passkey.
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This is a digital key that you don’t have to remember.
And you simply authenticate who you are using your fingerprint (Touch ID) or face (Face ID) on an iPhone or Mac.
It’ll be just as quick to log in, and means you’ll have a login that simply can’t be guessed or leaked.
Your Passkeys are stored on your devices, but will sync across multiple gadgets using Apple’s iCloud Keychain – which already exists to track passwords.
Nobody can read your Passkeys, Apple included.
And it means you can’t be tricked into handing over a password through phishing – because you won’t have any information to hand across.
The ultimate plan is to allow Passkeys to work on non-Apple devices too, including Windows laptops and Android phones.
Microsoft and Google have both been developing passwordless systems for years.
We’re expecting the new iOS 16 to go live in September.
It’s currently being tested in developer beta, and you’ll be able to join the iOS 16 public beta next month.
In the meantime, make sure your passwords are as strong as possible – and totally unique for each service.
You can already use Apple’s iCloud Keychain to create complex passwords automatically, which will be stored on your iPhone.
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