Since Google has added passkey support to its Google Accounts users last year, it also expanded the digital tool to more mediums. Today, Google is even making it easier for high-risk users to enroll in its Advanced Protection Program (APP) by allowing to use a passkey, adding new options in addition to the use of physical security keys.
What is a passkey?
Basically, passkeys are new passwordless tech used when signing in to apps and services across different devices, browsers, and operating systems. Passkeys are more secure and easier alternatives to passwords and give users the option to authenticate using a device’s biometric sensor like fingerprint or face ID without typing their username or account.
More importantly, passkeys adds better safeguards to attacks such as phishing compared to the use of passwords or even with two-factor authentication while making the overall experience faster at the same time.
How to enroll in Google’s Advanced Protection Program
As for Google’s APP, it is an initiative designed to help high-risk users like journalists, human rights workers, and politicians by adding extra security measures to protect their data and devices during potential attacks.
Before it was required to have at least one security key to enroll in the program. This hinders some users to join the program, especially if they are on areas with no available physical security keys readily available at hand. Google announced back in May of this year that it plans to make passkeys available to users of APP, finally ditching one of the roadblocks of the program.
So presently, those interested users can enroll by going to Google’s APP website, where they will be given the option to sign up using a passkey or security key, or a combination of both. At the same time, using a passkey when joining requires you to input recovery methods such as a phone number or email.
The program also supports a wide of devices and ecosystems. These include phones at least running on Android 9.0 or iPhone on iOS 16. Likewise, it is available to desktop and laptop that run on Window 10 or later or macOS Ventura or later.
What are your thoughts on passkeys? Do you think passkeys should be required in more apps and services? Let us hear your opinion.
