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<p>Over the years, the public has experienced the
drawbacks of relying on weak passwords – including the likes of credit card
fraud and identity theft. However, despite the many negative consequences of
hacked login credentials, online users have yet to part with simplified
passwords.</p>
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<p>In fact, the top 10 passwords typically go
unchanged from year to year - #1 is “123456” and #2 is “password.”</p>
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<p>Fortunately for the throngs of people creating,
using, and repurposing ridiculously simple passwords, many companies are
building more secure methods of managing online accounts. In the future, these
methods might replace the traditional keyboard password altogether.</p>
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<p><strong>2-Factor Authentication</strong></p>
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<p>As of now, 2-factor authentication will most
likely be the first to take over the traditional password. However, 2F-A doesn’t
make the login process simpler – it merely builds off your password to make
your account more secure. Most major companies already offer 2F-A – like Apple,
Google, Amazon, and even Instagram. If you activate this security feature, your
login process will involve two steps, usually a traditional password combined
with a code or approval sent via text or email.</p>
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<p><strong>Biometrics</strong></p>
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<p>What better way is there to validate a user than
with the physical user? Biometrics plans to make the act of securing online
accounts no big deal. With fingerprint readers, selfies, and retina scanners,
biometric account verifiers are a surefire way to confirm if a user really is
the rightful user of an account. With the integration of the fingerprint reader
into the iPhone, Apple has done an excellent job of making biometrics a likely
future for passwords. But that’s not the only biometric the public has seen.
Voice and face recognition and retina scanners are also on their way to
becoming a regular part of your day.</p>
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<p><strong>Wearables</strong></p>
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<p>Some companies (like PayPal) are fully determined
to replace the traditional password with a wearable. In the future, PayPal
would like you to swallow a chip while other companies simply want you to embed
the chip under your skin like a tattoo. But those aren’t the only options that
may come to fruition. The Nymi Band can monitor your heartbeat and unlock your
accounts via a Bluetooth connection and unique heartbeat signature – something
most wrist wearables aren’t able to do.</p>
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