It would be nice to not have to worry about password security, right?
Well, Yahoo is trying to eradicate the use of passwords altogether via its new service Yahoo Account Key. The tech company announced Thursday that users of its Yahoo Mail app — on Android and iOS — will have access to the new service, in which smartphones, instead of passwords, are used to confirm identities.
According to Reuters, users signing up for Yahoo Account Key will not be prompted to enter their passwords when trying to access their email accounts. Instead, the new service will simply send a message to users' smartphones connected to the email account. From there, users can tap yes or no on whether they're validating their login into their account or denying unauthorized access.
However, what if a smartphone is lost or stolen? Reuters reports that users will still be able to confirm their identity via a text message or email sent to an alternative number or account, respectively.
Dylan Casey, Yahoo's vice president of product management, said Account Key is actually more secure than traditional passwords because of its verification prompt.
Still, Satnam Narang, a security manager at Symantec, would like to see the new service verify identities utilizing two separate pieces of information to leave no doubts and diminish the chances of any breach.
"I think passwords are going to be around for a little while ... I don't think they're going away as soon as we'd like them to," Narang told Reuters. "They're so ingrained in everything we do from banking to email to shopping, you name it."
Here's a look at the new Yahoo Mail app.
