The first Thursday of May is traditionally known as “World Password Day,” when everyone is reminded to strengthen passwords to make them more secure and more difficult to guess.
Passwords are the primary method of security in the digital world, whether people are accessing emails, banking online or using social media platforms.
Many do not take password security seriously, however, leading to weaker passwords that are easily cracked by hackers.
By using stronger passwords, users can help prevent unauthorized access to their accounts and protect their privacy.
Common advice in the digital world is to have passwords that are at least 12 characters long that include a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
Users are cautioned against including any personal information, such as their name, birth date or address.
If passwords are too weak or easy to guess, they can be easily cracked, allowing criminals to steal a user’s identity, access their financial accounts and compromise their computer or mobile device.
Despite all that, traditional passwords might be going away in the near future.
Google said this World Password Day marked the “beginning of the end” for passwords, as the company announced it would be rolling out “passkeys” for Google accounts on all major platforms.
Passkeys allow users to ditch their passwords and use other forms of authentication, such as a fingerprint or Face ID.
It’s something Apple and Microsoft have already been implementing for their users.
“For some time we and others in the industry have been working on a simpler and safer alternative to passwords,” Google said in a blog post. “While passwords will be with us for some time to come, they are often frustrating to remember and put you at risk if they end up in the wrong hands.”
According to Google, passkeys are “both easier to use and more secure than passwords.”
