A month ago, Google rolled out passkey support to consumer Google accounts. Today, it is extending this feature to business users with the open beta launch of passkeys for Google Workspace and Cloud accounts.
A Decade-Long Battle Against Passwords
Like almost every other major tech company, Google has been waging war against passwords for years. The promise of passkeys is that they are safer than passwords and multifactor authentication because instead of using an authentication code from an app or SMS, passkey users can simply use their phones, desktops, or laptops to sign into websites and apps with the same logins they already use for their devices — be that a biometric login or a PIN code. Since users need to have physical access to these devices, it’s also less likely that an adversary will be able to gain access to them accidentally.
Passkeys: A Safer Alternative to Passwords
Passkeys, like physical security keys, also have the advantage of being resistant to phishing and indeed, the cryptographic protocols underlying the technology aren’t all that different from those of physical security keys. Google’s own research has shown that using passkeys is twice as fast and four times less error-prone than passwords (no surprise there).
"Over the past decade Google has been at the forefront of the battle against phishing and password-related threats, including with our automated defenses powered by Google AI," wrote Google Workspace product manager Jeroen Kemperman and Workspace engineering manager Shruti Kulkarni in today’s announcement. "We championed the development of physical security keys and their standardization under the FIDO Alliance. As generally a simpler and more secure alternative to passwords, passkeys represent the culmination of this work to bring phishing-resistant technology to billions of people worldwide."
Rollout Details
As is typical for these Workspace rollouts, Google is rolling this new feature out slowly. Over the course of the next few weeks, admins will get the ability to enable passkeys for their users and skip passwords at sign-in.
What This Means for Business Users
The introduction of passkeys to Google Workspace and Cloud accounts brings several benefits to business users:
- Improved Security: Passkeys offer an additional layer of security by providing a more secure way to authenticate users.
- Increased Convenience: With passkeys, users can sign into websites and apps with the same logins they already use for their devices, making it easier to access necessary resources.
- Reduced Errors: Google’s research has shown that using passkeys is twice as fast and four times less error-prone than passwords.
Conclusion
The introduction of passkeys to Google Workspace and Cloud accounts represents a significant step forward in the battle against passwords. By providing a more secure alternative to traditional authentication methods, businesses can improve their overall security posture while also increasing convenience for their users.
Why Passkeys Matter
Passkeys are an important innovation that has the potential to significantly impact the way we authenticate ourselves online. With the continued rollout of this technology, it’s likely that we’ll see a significant shift away from traditional password-based authentication methods in favor of more secure and convenient alternatives like passkeys.
How Passkeys Work
Passkeys use public key cryptography to enable secure authentication between devices and services. When a user wants to sign into a website or app using a passkey, they simply need to authenticate on their device (e.g., phone, laptop) instead of entering a password. This makes it much harder for attackers to gain access to the account.
Conclusion
The introduction of passkeys to Google Workspace and Cloud accounts is an important step forward in the battle against passwords. With its faster and more secure authentication process, businesses can improve their overall security posture while also increasing convenience for their users.