Passwords have long been the first line of defense when it comes to online security. National Password Day comes along once every year, and tech firms are celebrating this year by unveiling plans to get rid of the borderline medieval security measure altogether. As the technology is slowly becoming less and less proficient at actually protecting its users. Attempts have been made to bolster their security in a world that can hack most passwords in only a few seconds. Security-related issues have existed since the birth of online accounts. Hacking and phishing are two common practices that even the most alert of us could potentially fall victim to. And that’s expected on the internet because most websites have no way to tell whether it’s actually you or someone else trying to log in. As long as the email/username and the password match, you’re in. 2-factor authentication is another solid security layer that makes it harder for others to barge into your accounts. However, it’s not foolproof either. Fortunately for all of us, passwords might soon become a thing of the past. Tech companies have been trying to get rid of passwords for years. Users often have too many passwords to keep track of, and alone they aren't very secure. Microsoft, Apple, and Google announced plans to support a common passwordless sign-in standard (known as passkeys) developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the FIDO Alliance in its effort to build a set of passwordless login protocols. Marking World Password Day, Apple has joined the cause too.



All three tech giants have pledged to make logins simpler across all their devices and operating systems over the next year. Once implemented, these new Web Authentication (WebAuthn) credentials (aka FIDO credentials) will allow the three tech giants' users to log in to their accounts without using a password. Instead of using passwords, they will have the option to opt for verifying their identity using PINs or b.