Google Adds Passkey Support for Advanced Protection Program Before US Election

Google Introduces Passkey Support for Advanced Protection Program Ahead of U.S. Presidential Election

Enhancing Security for High-Risk Users

In preparation for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Google is rolling out passkey support for its Advanced Protection Program (APP). APP is designed to safeguard individuals who face a higher risk of targeted attacks, such as campaign workers, candidates, journalists, and human rights activists.

While APP previously required the use of hardware security keys, users will soon have the option to enroll using passkeys. They can choose to use passkeys exclusively or in combination with a password or hardware security key.

In a critical election year, we’ll be bringing this feature to our users who need it most, and continue to work with experts like Defending Digital Campaigns, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Asia Centre, Internews, and Possible to help protect global high-risk users.

Heather Adkins, Google’s VP of Security Engineering, shared this statement in a recent blog post.

Widespread Adoption of Passkeys

Since introducing passkey support in 2022, Google has witnessed over 1 billion authentications across more than 400 million Google Accounts. Remarkably, passkeys are utilized more frequently on Google Accounts than traditional two-step verification methods, such as SMS and app-based one-time passwords combined.

Passkey logins offer enhanced security by making it more challenging for malicious actors to remotely access accounts, as they would also require physical access to the user’s phone. Additionally, passkeys eliminate the reliance on username and password combinations, which can be vulnerable to phishing attempts.

Numerous companies have embraced this technology, including Apple, Amazon, X (formerly Twitter), PayPal, WhatsApp, GitHub, and TikTok.

Expanding Cross-Account Protection

Google also announced the expansion of its Cross-Account Protection program, which shares security notifications about suspicious activity with third-party apps connected to a user’s Google account. This initiative helps prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to one account and using it to infiltrate others.

Google is currently protecting 2.4 billion accounts across 3.4 million apps and sites, and is actively collaborating with industry partners to further enhance security measures.