Yahoo is gone without password

Yahoo just upped the ante on the security posture of its mobile apps with the release of the full and stable version of its account key mechanism, which is the central part of the company’s effort to clear the password.

In essence, the account key is a kind of two-factor verification, only it no longer involves the first factor, which is the password. But it does not mean that the infrastructure is less secure than if it requires a password, it simply makes the login task much easier for users.

Yahoo implemented the tool in a variety of applications created by the technology company, such as Yahoo Messenger, Fantasy, Mail, Finance, and Sports for the Android and iOS ecosystems. The mechanism works by sending an automatic notification to an account owner’s device and asking the user to tap to log into Yahoo!

It also helps keep users logged in to their Yahoo! account, but without providing full access to services. It means that users will still have to verify their identity when trying to access Yahoo applications, although they will remain logged in on mobile applications installed on their phone.

Removing the password security method has long been Yahoo’s goal, believing that the traditional security method only adds to the hassle of users burdened with the task of remembering complicated character strings to protect identity. Once you lose your password memory, there is the additional burden of reporting it to the Internet company. Or worse yet, your password can be guessed if it is misspelled, therefore weak. Some Internet companies today no longer allow weak passwords, so your registration will not be completed.

With the removal of passwords, users will have to rely heavily on their mobile phones as a moving medium to gain access to their cyber account with Yahoo. There are options for users when opting for the account key mechanism: they can request that a password be sent on demand to their mobile phone which they can use to log into Yahoo!

Yahoo believes that the future must be password-free, in keeping with the laments of privacy advocates who think passwords are outdated and should be replaced. However, it’s unclear what Yahoo expects for a long-term passwordless login.

The passwordless mechanism is part of Yahoo’s long-term goal of addressing user privacy concerns.