Google Inc Wants To Do Away With Passwords

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Google wants to free its users from the hassle of entering a password every time they log in, for which it is testing a new password authentication feature. Though the Internet company did not reveal when it intends to roll out the feature to the general public, it did acknowledge that it is testing the new functionality with a small group of enthusiasts.

Google making it convenient and safe for users

Generally, users need to type in a long string of characters for authenticating their identity, which is not only inconvenient but is also not the most secure method as the traditional way of signing in opens up a user to a range of phishing attacks. The search giant realizes this, and for this reason it has been working on alternative methods for some time, including a physical USB key authentication which it implemented as well as part of a two-step verification process.

The new way that the company is testing, if successful, will allow users to log in to their computer with their mobile phone as the authentication tool. Google admitted that it is working on this feature.

“We’ve invited a small group of users to help test a new way to sign-in to their Google accounts, no password required. ‘Pizza’, ‘password’, and ‘123456’ — your days are numbered,” a Google spokesperson told VentureBeat,

Yahoo tried this before

Rohit Paul, a beta tester who got an invitation from the company to test the new functionality, revealed on Reddit that the feature requires users to type only their email addresses to log in to their Google account via their computers. Then they receive a notification from Google on their smartphones in the form of the question, “Trying to sign in?” By selecting “Yes,” users are able to log in to their account on the computer. To use this feature, users will need to authorize their mobile device first, and there is a screen lock as well that needs to be turned on.

If a user loses his/her device or starts using a new one, they can deactivate the authorization on those devices. The feature appears to be very similar to Yahoo’s Account Key. The feature, which was launched in October, makes use of smartphones to authenticate users.

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