Passwords under threat as tech giants seek tougher security

Fingerprints, access keys and facial recognition are putting a new squeeze on passwords as the traditional computer security method -- but also running into public hesitancy.

"The password era is ending," two senior figures at Microsoft wrote in a July blog post.

The tech giant has been building "more secure" alternatives to log in for years -- and has since May been offering them by default to new users.

Many other online services -- such as artificial intelligence giant OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot -- require steps like entering a numerical code emailed to a user's known address before granting access to potentially sensitive data.

"Passwords are often weak and people re-use them" across different online services, said Benoit Grunemwald, a cybersecurity expert with Eset.

Sophisticated attackers can crack a word of eight characters or fewer within minutes or even seconds, he pointed out.

And passwords are often the prize booty in data leaks from online platforms, in cases where "they are improperly stored by the people supposed to protect them and keep them safe," Grunemwald said.

One massive database of around 16 billion login credentials amassed from hacked files was discovered in June by researchers from media outlet Cybernews.