Passkey | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Google on Tuesday announced the ability for all users to set up passkeys by default, five months after it  rolled out support  for the FIDO Alliance-backed passwordless standard for Google Accounts on all platforms. "This means the next time you sign in to your account, you'll start seeing prompts to create and use passkeys, simplifying your future sign-ins," Google's Sriram Karra and Christiaan Brand  said . "It also means you'll see the ' skip password when possible ' option toggled on in your Google Account settings." Passkeys are a new form of authentication that entirely eliminate the need for usernames and passwords, or even provide any additional authentication factor. In other words, it's a passwordless login mechanism that leverages public-key cryptography to authenticate users' access to websites and apps, with the private key saved securely in the device and the public key stored in the server. Each passkey is unique and...

Microsoft is officially rolling out support for passkeys in Windows 11 today as part of a  major update  to the desktop operating system. The feature allows users to login to websites and applications without having to provide a username and password, instead relying on their device PIN or biometric information to complete the step. Based on  FIDO standards , Passkeys were  first announced  in May 2022 as a replacement for passwords in a manner that's both strong and phishing-resistant. It has since been adopted by  Apple ,  Google , and a number of other services in recent months. While the tech giant added passkey management in the Windows Insider program back in June 2023, the development marks the feature's general availability. "Passkeys are the cross-platform future of secure sign-in management," David Weston, vice president of enterprise and OS Security,  said . "A passkey creates a unique, unguessable cryptographic credential that is...

Google has officially begun rolling out support for  passkeys , the next-generation passwordless login standard, to its stable version of Chrome web browser. "Passkeys are a significantly safer replacement for passwords and other phishable authentication factors," the tech giant's Ali Sarraf  said . "They cannot be reused, don't leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks." The improved security feature, which is available in version 108, comes nearly two months after Google  began testing the option  across Android, macOS, and Windows 11. Passkeys  obviate the need for passwords by requiring users to authenticate themselves during sign in by unlocking their nearby Android or iOS device using biometrics. This, however, calls for websites to build passkey support on their sites using the  WebAuthn API . Essentially, the technology works by creating a unique cryptographic key pair to associate with an account for the app or website ...

While phishing and ransomware dominate headlines, another critical risk quietly persists across most enterprises: exposed Git repositories leaking sensitive data. A risk that silently creates shadow access into core systems Git is the backbone of modern software development, hosting millions of repositories and serving thousands of organizations worldwide. Yet, amid the daily hustle of shipping code, developers may inadvertently leave behind API keys, tokens, or passwords in configuration files and code files, effectively handing attackers the keys to the kingdom. This isn't just about poor hygiene; it's a systemic and growing supply chain risk. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, so do compliance requirements. Security frameworks like NIS2, SOC2, and ISO 27001 now demand proof that software delivery pipelines are hardened and third-party risk is controlled. The message is clear: securing your Git repositories is no longer optional, it's essential. Below, we look at the ris...