Google Launches Passkey Support for Workspace and Google Cloud Accounts

Google earlier in May launched Passkey support as an additional sign-in option for personal Google Accounts. Now, the tech giant is extending the support to Workspace accounts with a public beta. Passkeys replace password-only logins and allow users to sign in to apps and websites with PIN, fingerprint scanner, and face unlock. The passwordless sign-in method claims to reduce the impact of phishing and other social engineering attacks. With the open beta launch, over 9 million organisations can allow their users to sign in to Google Workspace and Google Cloud accounts using Passkeys instead of passwords.

After announcing personal account support last month, Google made Passkeys available for personal Google Accounts as an additional sign-in option on Monday. With the latest open beta launch, more than 9 million organisations can allow their users to sign in to Google Workspace and Google Cloud accounts using their phone or computer’s authentication systems, such as PIN, fingerprint, and face unlock, instead of passwords.

Passkeys come as a new alternative for authentication and users can still continue depending on passwords to sign in to their work and personal Google Accounts across phones, laptops, or desktops. The new method is said to reduce phishing and other online attacks.

Google, referring to its own research, states that using Passkeys is twice as fast and four times less error-prone than usual passwords. On the privacy front, the American tech company claims that ” user’s biometric data is never sent to Google’s servers or other websites and apps”.

Google’s Passkey support is available on Android, Windows, ChromeOS, iOS, and macOS. Popular browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge support the feature on the Web.

Google Workspace administrators can enable Passkey login for people in their organisation over the next few weeks. They can still create and use Passkeys as a 2-Step Verification (2SV) method.

Passkeys are expected to overtake passwords and password managers in the cybersecurity space. Besides Google, top tech companies like Apple, and Snap are encouraging the adoption of this new tool with a password-less sign-in standard created by the FIDO Alliance. Passkeys are believed to provide faster, easier and more secure sign-ins compared to the traditional methods. They are widely said to minimize human error in password security and authorisation steps as users don’t have to remember passwords for every account.