Google has snatched the startup firm SlickLogin for an undisclosed amount and the world might be transitioning from passwords to another technology that will make access to online accounts easier.
SlickLogin is the Tel-Aviv-based company behind the smart identification system that makes use of high-frequency sound that might replace passwords. Utilizing the technology, a user's smartphone will communicate with a website using a unique sound, almost inaudible to the human ear, that can replace authentication systems. All the user needs to do is just place the smartphone next to a laptop and forget the need to memorize passwords.
"We started SlickLogin because security measures had become overly complicated and annoying. Our friends thought we were insane, but we knew we could do better. So we set out to improve security while still making it simple for people to log in," stated the StickLogin team on its website.
"Today we're announcing that the SlickLogin team is joining Google, a company that shares our core beliefs that logging in should be easy instead of frustrating, and authentication should be effective without getting in the way. Google was the first company to offer 2-step verification to everyone, for free - and they're working on some great ideas that will make the internet safer for everyone. We couldn't be more excited to join their efforts," it added.
The technology has not been released yet but promises a military-grade security using the unique technology that is being patented by the firm. The company's CEO is Or Zelig, who worked for the elite cyber security unit of the Israel Defense Forces. Zelig co-founded the company and launched it in 2013 during the TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.
The sound that SlickLogin will use will be unique every time in order to avoid hackers from just recording the sound and using it. However, it is not clear if the company has improved its features since it disclosed then that when a smartphone is stolen, the owner is in a lot of trouble.
"If they can get into your phone, they have access to your accounts already," explained the SlickLogin team during Disrupt 2013.
Google already has a two-factor authentication system in place that requires a password and a code sent to the account holder's mobile phone but it can make the process more seamless with the integration of the SlickLogin technology.
The two-step authentication process can save users from being easily hacked and a tool like SlickLogin can make security better without making life more difficult for users. In a survey released by SplashData, "123456" topped the worst passwords of 2013 list. Other dumbest passwords include "12345678," "qwerty," and "abc123."
Pew Research Center also revealed that about 67 percent of Americans who are either married or in a committed relationship share passwords and online accounts.
Google has not yet commented about its latest buy.
