Google Adds Double Security Feature to Password Manager Service
Google recently announced updates to Google Chrome across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and ChromeOS. The update allows users to store passkeys in Google Password Manager. Previously, this feature was only available on Android devices.
Once a passkey is saved from one of the devices, it will automatically sync across all of the user's devices. Google also provides various authentication methods for using passkeys, such as facial recognition, fingerprint, and PIN.
Additionally, Google introduced a new PIN in Google Password Manager, which serves as an additional layer of security. The PIN ensures that the passkey is completely encrypted and can only be accessed by the user. Users must remember their PIN, as it is required when using passlock on a new device. If you forget, you can also use the screen lock on your Android cellphone as an alternative.
Passlock technology is being pushed by major tech companies, such as Google, Amazon, PayPal, and WhatsApp. Although passkeys continue to evolve, traditional passwords are still widely used. Google still calls its service "Google Password Manager," which shows that passwords still dominate over passkeys.
Meanwhile, Google is developing a new Identity Check feature to improve security on users' Android cellphones. This feature is able to prevent cases of leakage and theft of user data, which are currently very massive. Even if a thief knows the PIN or lock screen pattern, this feature can prevent it.
This layered security feature will force users to use biometrics (such as fingerprints or facial scanners) to access certain applications when the cellphone is outside a trusted location. The feature is very similar to Apple's stolen device protection.
So far, the lock screen with a PIN, pattern or password has been the main security system on smartphones. However, there is a risk that thieves can peek when the user enters the PIN and then steal the phone. As a result, applications can still be accessed because the Android biometric system still provides a fallback option to PIN or pattern, so that personal data such as messages or banking applications can be compromised.
This feature was discovered in the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 update. This feature removes fallback options like PIN or pattern when the phone is outside a trusted location, and forces the use of biometrics. The trusted location can be the user's home, and outside this location, the phone can only be unlocked with biometrics.
Apple already has a similar system in place on iPhone devices, where stolen device protection requires biometrics to access sensitive information when the device is outside a known location.
Later, this feature will be integrated with Google Play Services to track cellphones outside trusted locations and enable biometric forcing. Although there is no official launch schedule yet, this feature is expected to be available in the Android 15 QPR1 update or higher. With increasing digital security threats, the Identity Check feature is expected to provide additional protection for Android users from data theft.
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