Is your online information secure? This is a major concern for many people, which begs the question of whether passkeys or passwords are more secure.
The traditional method of securing accounts has been through passwords, but a new system has emerged as an alternative method of online security, called passkeys. With advanced technology and capabilities, it’s more important than ever for online accounts and information to be secure, avoiding the risk of cyber-attacks from hackers.
Does it make more sense to use passwords or passkeys? Should you use a combination of the two?
What are the pros and cons of passwords?
Pro: Familiarity
You know your passwords and typically use information that’s relevant only to you to create them. Most people have been using passwords for years, making this a comfortable method of securing accounts. It should be relatively easy to create and remember your passwords.
Con: Weakness
If a user chooses common, easily guessable passwords or uses the same password across multiple accounts, they are leaving themselves open to cyber-attacks and becoming extremely vulnerable. This makes it easier to hack their personal information.
Pro: Flexibility
Passwords can be customized to your preferences, ensuring they are unique to you. You can create complex passwords using case-sensitive characters, numbers, special characters, and symbols. It’s important to remember your passwords, which makes it challenging to use some of these variations.
Con: Complexity
How do you remember complex passwords? This is the trouble that many people have. If you write them down or save them in your smartphone, they are no longer easily protected and secret. The difficulty in remembering complex passwords makes it easy to leave them open to vulnerability.
Pro: Compatibility
You can use passwords on every device, making it easy to open the same accounts and information on your smartphone, laptop computer, desktop, or tablet. This makes passwords a convenient choice for most users.
Con: Management
Keeping track of and managing passwords can be a serious challenge, especially when you have multiple accounts. Users must remember several passwords or use a password manager, which can become time-consuming and cumbersome.
What are passkeys?
A newer method of account security than using passwords is the use of passkeys. These items use a physical device, such as a USB key, to authenticate a user’s identity. Passkeys provide an extra layer of security, increasing the safety of your information.
What are the pros and cons of passkeys?
Pro: Security
Passkeys are much more secure than passwords because they use two-factor authentication. This requires a user to have the passkey, which makes it much more difficult to hack or steal information from an account using passkeys.
Con: Cost
Passkeys can be expensive. They require users to purchase them, which is why many people won’t use them to secure their information. Peace of mind can help users protect their information, but many don’t want to pay for them.
Pro: Ease of Use
Once you purchase a passkey, all you’ve got to do is plug it in and enter the PIN. This authenticates the passkey, and you won’t have to remember complex passwords to enter your accounts and gain access to your information.
Con: Compatibility
Passkeys aren’t compatible with all devices and applications. Before using a passkey, you must ensure it’s supported by the device and applications you want to use.
Pro: Management
Its easy to manage passkeys. You only need one passkey to use it across multiple accounts that support its use. This eliminates the need to remember several passwords or use a password manager to access your information.
Con: Convenience
Despite the security of passkeys, they can be less convenient than passwords. Users need to have the passkey with them at all times, which can be inconvenient, especially if it becomes lost or they forget it.
Should you use passwords or passkeys?
The simple use of passwords suggests they be used for everything you need to access, but passkeys are much more secure. You need the right security for various accounts and information. The best approach might be to use passwords for accounts that you don’t mind being a little vulnerable, such as your entertainment streaming accounts, but use passkeys for financial accounts or health accounts that should be much more secure.
Of course, before using passkeys, you must ensure they are compatible with the accounts you’ll use. Using a combination of these two security features can give you the best chance of avoiding a security breach in your accounts.
