Google has unveiled a huge update that signals the "beginning of the end" for using passwords to access Gmail accounts.
And the web giant has begun rolling out its new passkey technology, which will allow billions of users to log into websites and apps the way they unlock a device — using a fingerprint, a face scan, or a device PIN that can verify their identity.
It is expected that the new type of online login will eventually replace passwords, although it will be some time before that happens because the technology is still in its infancy.
Experts say it will allow people to access and use their new login credentials without a password - or passkey - across different devices.
This will prevent them from having to log into each account again on each device, reducing the risk of using easy-to-guess passwords, thus creating a more secure system. While Microsoft was running it through the Authenticator app.
Ebay, PayPal and Docusign already use the passkey as well, along with a number of other companies.
It was created by the industry body FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium, with Google, Apple and Microsoft the primary drivers.
The tech giants said the new system also allows people to use fingerprint authentication or a facial scan on their smartphone as a way to log in on another nearby device, regardless of which operating system or browser they're running.
This is a feature that already exists for Apple devices, where a person wearing an Apple Watch can unlock a phone or MacBook.
This reduces the need for people to remember a wide variety of combinations of usernames and passwords to log into different services, which has often led to passwords being reused across multiple accounts.
Experts have previously warned that this is one of the biggest security risks in the digital world.
Users can create and store a passkey on any compatible device they use - such as iPhones running iOS16 and Android devices running Android 9.
They will also be able to share it with other devices from the operating system using services like iCloud or password managers like Dashlane and 1Password.
To set one up, go to g.co/passkeys. Enter the password to access your account, then click Create Passkey.
You'll be asked to select Continue for one setting for the device you're using, or Use another device for another device.
Once you do, you will be asked to put your fingerprint on your device as you normally would to unlock it, at which point the passkey will be generated.
And if at any time you suspect that someone else has access to your account, or if you lose the only device where the passkey is stored, you can revoke the passkeys in your Google account settings.
The technology works by storing an encrypted private key on the user's device, while there is a corresponding public key uploaded to Google.
When a user logs in, the device uses the private key to create a signature once it has solved a unique challenge.
This signature is in turn verified with the public key which then allows the user to access their account.
Google never sees the private key or biometrics used, only the signature generated and the public key.
The internet giant says this will prevent people using phishing, SIM swapping and other methods to obtain passwords or bypass existing authentication methods.
However, Google stresses that users should never create passkeys on a shared device because anyone who gains access to and unlocks that device will then be able to access your Gmail account.
"While passwords will be with us for some time to come, they are often frustrating to remember and put you at risk if they end up in the wrong hands," Google said in its announcement.
An institute in Petersburg creates an artificial neural network to track suspicious transactions
Scientists from the Institute of Cyber Security at Peter the Great Technological University in Petersburg have created an artificial neural network to combat online fraud.
As the university's press service told reporters, the graph's artificial neural network is able to distinguish between suspicious transactions and safe transactions, and between fraudsters and honest citizens.
When training the neural network, identifying information was implicitly taken into account, including the bank card, data about the sender and recipient of funds, the type of bank card used, the characteristics of the device with which the transaction was made, and so on.
One of the peculiarities of the new model of artificial neural network (artificial intelligence) is its interest in certain patterns through which illegal acts can be identified.
Daria Lavrova, a professor at the Institute of Cyber Security at the university, said: “If a person opened a bank account 6 months ago, and during this time period the average daily transaction volume was 1,000 rubles, and subsequently received money transfers in the amount of 30,000 rubles in one day, There is a possibility that the neural network will classify this person as a fraud."
The press service of the university quoted d. Anastasia Sergadieva, one of the authors of the project, a researcher at the Institute of Cyber Security at Peter the Great University, said: “The creators of the new model of the artificial neural network are convinced that their innovation can now be used as a first line of defense against online fraud. However, technical methods still cannot fully protect against fraud, because the most vulnerable link is not a computer, but humans.As long as users enter their credit card details on third-party websites, do not use strong passwords, and trust phone calls with The so-called bank security officials, they will not be safe. Technical security measures must evolve in parallel with training users in the basics of digital literacy and safe behavior on the Internet."
India is supplying its army with remote controlled speedboats
Navy Recognition has announced that India intends to equip its military with remotely controlled fast interceptor boats.
A post on the site read: "The Indian Ministry of Defense plans to purchase 20 RMFIC-I fast interceptor boats to supply them to the Army Navy. These boats are equipped with technologies that enable them to be controlled remotely."
The publication added, "According to the request of the Indian Navy, the RMFIC-I boats that it will receive will be able to be controlled by one person, either directly from the boat or from a shore control station, and each boat will be able to transport 14 soldiers in addition to several other personnel if The job required."
According to the available information, the boats that the Indian Navy will receive will range between 13-17 meters in length, and their displacement of water will be equivalent to 17 tons, and they will be able to move at a speed of 45 nautical knots, and they will work as interceptor boats in areas up to 40 nautical miles from the shore, and they will be Arming them with different types of machine guns.
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