In their recent post , “RIP passwords: new web standard designed to replace login method[1]” The Guardian introduced The Web Authentication (WebAuthn) standard— a system built to replace passwords with biometric identity verification software for use on devices like a smartphone, security key, webcam or fingerprint scanner.

Rethinking the safety, and let’s be real, the convenience, of the traditional “7 character, at least one cap, one number and one symbol” password was long overdue.

It’s been made clear in recent years that breaches in security are more a probability than a possibility, and in the dawn of the digital frictionless transaction— having to remember numerous passwords and combinations of passwords in order to access information, is as ridiculous as writing a paper check.

Digital Darwinism

The value of advanced digital identity verification solutions is becoming increasingly apparent, amid what seems like the unrelenting exposure and misuse of our personal information.

It has taken some time, and further breaches, to convince major browsers that adoption of these solutions is necessary to maintain user confidence in the internet. Digital credential management actually got a less than successful debut in 2014 with what started as the UAF, or “Universal Authentication Factor”-- which failed to gain traction mainly because major browsers just weren’t on board. Absence of adoption is not a problem this time around, as Google, Microsoft and Mozilla have committed to supporting WebAuthn.

The future of identity verification... ?+⛓️ https://t.co/A5aFRL5OhV

— Kairos: Face Recognition Made Easy ? (@LoveKairos) April 11, 2018

Time for change

If you’ve followed our blog, seen our CEO Brian Brackeen at SXSW over the years, or simply visited our site, you know that at Kairos we are strong, even fanatical, proponents of privacy. We recognize that in the Digital Revolution, nothing short of advanced, innovative solutions around identity security can combat the hacker war being waged on our digital identities.

As a provider of Face Recognition SaaS, we see this problem as a significant part of our own jobs to be done, and have been hyper focused on the development of our own Anonymous Identity Verification protocol.

"WebAuthn is the culmination of many years of work and the change will not happen overnight. But as it increasingly seems inevitable that our email or other online services will get hacked into, removing the password is an important step in improving online security and making using sites and services easier.” 

- Samuel Gibbs, for The Guardian.

Web Authentication is the next, and only step in the direction of ensuring the safety of our digital identity, and Kairos is in support of this movement-- every step of the way.

[1] RIP passwords: new web standard designed to replace login method