Passwords under threat as tech giants seek tougher security

Fingerprints, access keys and facial recognition are putting a new squeeze on passwords as the traditional computer security method -- but also running into public hesitancy.

“The password era is ending,” two senior figures at Microsoft wrote in a July blog post.

The tech giant has been building “more secure” alternatives to log in for years -- and has since May been offering them by default to new users.

Many other online services -- such as artificial intelligence giant OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot -- require steps like entering a numerical code emailed to a user’s known address before granting access to potentially sensitive data.

“Passwords are often weak and people re-use them” across different online services, said Benoit Grunemwald, a cybersecurity expert with Eset.

Sophisticated attackers can crack a word of eight characters or fewer within minutes or even seconds, he pointed out.