Google Workspace is enabling passkeys for over nine million organisations as a replacement for passwords.
Currently in open Beta, the new sign-in method provides enterprise users with a convenient and secure means of authentication via fingerprint, face recognition, and more from their phones, laptops, and desktops.
Last month, Google made passkeys available as an alternative sign-in option for personal Google Accounts.
Jeroen Kemperman, Product Manager at Google Workspace and Shruti Kulkarni, Engineering Manager at Google Workspace co-authored the company’s announcement of its expanded passkey solution for enterprise clients.
They wrote: “Over the past decade Google has been at the forefront of the battle against phishing and password-related threats, including with our automated defences powered by Google AI.
“We championed the development of physical security keys and their standardization under the FIDO Alliance.
“As a generally simpler and more secure alternative to passwords, passkeys represent the culmination of this work to bring phishing-resistant technology to billions of people worldwide.”
Passkeys are designed to protect against the growing number of phishing attacks that have led to the emergence of some alarming figures.
In 2021, more than 60 percent of data breaches included stolen credentials or phishing.
Last year, data breaches resulting from phishing attacks cost companies an average of $4.91 million.
Phishing attacks increased by 61 percent in 2022, culminating in 255 million attacks within a six-month period.
By introducing passkeys, Google has become the first public cloud provider to offer its customers this form of protection.
What is a Passkey?
A passkey is an authentication method that allows users to use screen-lock mechanisms that are tied to one of their physical devices.
Passkeys can be used across popular browsers and operating systems, such as Windows, Android, iOS, ChromeOS, and macOS.
