Passwords are a staple of both the Internet and computing at large. Even as new authentication protocols have emerged, most of us use passwords to log into our daily accounts and websites using a code of letters, numbers and symbols. The problem is, the password no longer belongs in the digital age. Cybersecurity threats have evolved so far beyond the capability of a password to protect us from them that they’ve actually become a liability. The latest data breach — one of the largest ever — proves that. The breach exposed anywhere from tens of millions to over 3.5 billion records. Researchers say they’ve found a collective of 16 billion passwords leaked on the web. The fact is, a security system that relies on something that can be stolen isn’t a secure system in 2025. Now it’s time to take passkeys much more seriously. Unlike passwords, passkeys aren’t at risk of theft, nor can scammers trick you into sending your passkey to them. The technology is tied to a device you personally own — like a smartphone — and is locked behind strong authentication. Without a face scan, fingerprint scan, or PIN entry on your personal device, no one is getting into your account. Of course, not all accounts can use passkeys right now. In those cases, you'll need to shore up your password security as best you can. That’s where a good password manager comes in. They use strong encryption to protect your passwords, and all you need to remember is the one unique password you use to access the password manager. The top password managers today include NordPass, Bitwarden, Dashlane and LastPass.
