In the News
Keeping track of all of your passwords can be challenging, but a new service may make this process easier. In US carriers introduce Project Verify to replace individual app passwords, Ashley Carman from The Verge discusses a new smartphone service that allows one to log into all of their apps at once without unique passwords for every app. Carman explains that this new service, Project Verify, will serve as an authentication for all apps on a device if one chooses to connect such apps and can even be used as a two-factor authentication method. Carman states that this service keeps all apps logged in on a given device, which can pose security risks of the device is misplaced or stolen.
Our Take
With all of the apps and accounts that we keep on our smartphone, a streamlined way to log in system sounds appealing. Password security is a major issue with most people failing to adequately secure their accounts with strong and unique passwords. All of your accounts should have a unique complex password, and these passwords should be changed frequently to ensure your information is stored securely. For an everyday smartphone user with dozens of apps, the reality of maintaining such password habits often is more difficult to put into practice. Project Verify does seem to aid in the complexity that is passwords creation and protection. After all, passwords serve as protection for all of your personal information. Although this service may sound like an easy way out of maintaining passwords for every one of your accounts, there are still security risks that it poses. As with all things stored on your smartphone, there is a risk of that information falling into the wrong hands if your phone is misplaced and your data is not stored securely.
Recommendations
So how can you protect the information stored on your smartphone?
- Refrain from keeping highly sensitive information on your smartphone
- Use services such as Project Verify for apps that do not handle sensitive or financial information
- Utilize additional security measures on apps when possible
- Always use a password or authentication method when signing into your smartphone
- Consider a password manager application for generating and storing your passwords, securing the password manager with multi-factor authentication.