At the moment logging into websites still require users to enter a password/passcode. It’s been that way for the longest time ever, but not necessarily the most reliable since passwords can be cracked. However moving forwards that could change as a new web standard proposed by the FIDO Alliance and W3C could introduce the use of biometrics.
To be more specific, the Web Authentication proposed will allow users to log into websites through password-free methods. This includes biometrics, like we mentioned earlier, along with cameras and USB keys as alternative authentication methods. As it stands Mozilla’s Firefox is the only browser to support this new standard, although Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Edge are expected to support it in the next couple of months.
Opera has also publicly announced their commitment to the technology, which unfortunately leaves Apple’s Safari as the only browser to not offer support, or at least Apple has yet to announce that they will. Given how big Apple is on biometrics, such as integrating Touch ID into the MacBook Pro and also turning to the use of facial recognition with the iPhone X, it’s surprising that they weren’t as quick to hop on board.
That being said, this doesn’t mean that the password has been killed off for good, but rather this standard could mean that we could see more login options offered in the future.
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