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Starting on Thursday, the company announced, users of the Yahoo
Mail app on both iOS and Android will have access to a new
service called Yahoo Account Key, which uses smartphones to
verify identities in lieu of traditional passwords.
Here's how it works: When users who sign up for Account Key try
to access Yahoo Mail, they will no longer need to enter their
password. Instead, the Account Key service will send a message
to the smartphone connected to the account.
With a tap on yes or no, users can indicate it is a legitimate
attempt to get into the account or deny unauthorized access.
If their smartphone is lost or stolen, users can verify
identities through an email or a text message sent to
alternative accounts and numbers.
In a blog post on Yahoo's Tumblr page, Dylan Casey, vice
president of product management, said Account Key is more secure
than traditional passwords because it prohibits anyone from
signing in to access an account without the verification that
Account Key provides.
Satnam Narang, a security manager with Symantec, called the
approach "a step above a password" but said it still falls short
of the golden standard of what's known as two-factor
authentication, which requires users to confirm their identify
with two different pieces of information.
He also expressed doubts that most users will let passwords die
easily and encouraged widespread adoption of password management
tools until a new verification method replaces them for good.
"I think passwords are going to be around for a little while, I
don't think they're going away as soon as we'd like them to.
They're so ingrained in everything we do from banking to email
to shopping, you name it," Narang said.
In addition to Account Key verification, Yahoo executives
announced a revamped version of Yahoo Mail that allows users to
connect with, manage and search Outlook, Hotmail and AOL email
accounts while signed in to their Yahoo account.
The new Mail also connects to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to
add photos and create "contact cards" with email, telephone and
social media information for contacts.
(Editing by Stephen R. Trousdale and Ken Wills)
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