Google Declares War on the Password

[trishnikolic]

6. Google Declares War on the Password

Passwords and simple bearer tokens such as cookies are no longer sufficient to keep users safe. Google agrees. Along with many in the industry, it feels like passwords and simple bearer tokens such as cookies are no longer sufficient to keep users safe.

Thus they’re experimenting with new ways to replace the password, including a tiny Yubico cryptographic card that — when slid into a USB (Universal Serial Bus) reader — can automatically log a web surfer into Google. They’ve had to modify Google’s web browser to work with these cards, but there’s no software download and once the browser support is there, they’re easy to use. You log into the website, plug in the USB stick and then register it with a single mouse click.