Could passkey technology prevent more cyber attacks?

Websites and cellphone companies are turning to passkey technology to see if it could prevent more cyber attacks.

Every 39 seconds, someone is a victim of a cyber attack. That amounts to more than 111 million a year, according to Zippia. Cybersecurity experts believe passwords are weaker security since hackers are more advanced.

Passkeys may be the best bet for privacy. But what’s the difference?

UCF Cybersecurity Officer David Zambri said passkeys are better for protection. “A passkey is a software token that’s on your device,” he said, “so you still have something you have to have, which is your phone, and it’s enabled with biometrics, like touch ID or face ID.”

Passkeys aren’t widely available yet, so Zambri advises strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts.

“What I would recommend is a good username and password, and when I say, ‘a good password,’ it should be a long password, and it should be generated by a password generator,” Zambri said.

Until passkeys are on all platforms, Zambri can safely secure login information to accounts in an encrypted document on your device.

Cybersecurity experts also recommend using password managers to store your login information. Some even allow storing passkeys.