NordPass adds passwordless online authentication

The password manager looks to support the future of securing digital accounts

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Toppassword managerNordPass is adding new upgrades to allow for passwordless encryption solutions.

The company claims that customers will soon be able to store passkeys - the new tech with improvedidentity theft protectionover passwords - that secure their accounts on other websites.

What’s more,NordPassusers will be able to access their stored passwords without a master password, using biometrics - such as fingerprint or facial recognition data - instead.

Passkeys in, passwords out

Passkeys ditch passwords in favor of encrypted keys stored on device. When creating a passkey for an online account, a signature is generated on that device to verify it as genuine. Even though they are stored on the device, you can use other devices to access your passkey protected accounts by responding to verification prompts between the two devices, similar to how multifactor authentication works.

What is Passkey? Everything you need to know>Google Chrome now supports passkeys for everyone>Apple’s quest to kill off the password is heading in the right direction

Popular websites such as eBay and PayPal have already adopted passkey support for their customer’s accounts, andGooglesupports their use on its popular Chrome browser and on Android devices, although there are a fewcaveatsto setting this up. Microsoft also supports them in Windows 11, but not 10. Apple was one of the first adopters of Passkey technology and is supported on all their current devices.

Other new features coming to NordPass for 2023 include the ability to view an account’s password history, allowing you to restore older passwords, as well as being able to attach and store files within the manager.

It is also set to introduce a Time-based One Time Password (TOTP) feature, which lets users add an extra layer of security by generating a passcode that needs to be inputted within 30 seconds of logging in.

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Speaking of security, NordPass also assures that their technology has been “independently audited and we use the XChaCha20 algorithm to encrypt data of our consumers”.

NordPass also announced that it is working on further passwordless features specifically designed for businesses in mind this year too.

Lewis Maddison is a Reviews Writer for TechRadar. He previously worked as a Staff Writer for our business section, TechRadar Pro, where he had experience with productivity-enhancing hardware, ranging from keyboards to standing desks. His area of expertise lies in computer peripherals and audio hardware, having spent over a decade exploring the murky depths of both PC building and music production. He also revels in picking up on the finest details and niggles that ultimately make a big difference to the user experience.

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