Project Verify Unveiled By Major US Carriers To Eliminate App Passwords

The United States' four biggest wireless carriers — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile — have teamed to launch Project Verify, a single sign-on service that reduces how many passwords someone needs. Project Verify is designed for smartphone users, existing to authenticate any apps that require logins so the user doesn't have to enter a unique password.

Unfortunately, an increasing number of data breaches have left consumers exposed. Usernames and passwords aren't just cumbersome to use, they also leave any given account vulnerable if the details are leaked. Two-factor authentication is one solution to help safeguard these accounts, but even it can be foiled in the right circumstances.

Project Verify aims to be the solution, at least for smartphone users, utilizing a multi-factor solution that looks at things like IP address and SIM card details to verify users. The entire process is designed to be harder to trick, helping keep user accounts safe.

As explained in the video above, users would need to authorize an app to use Verify, assuming the app itself supports the verification option. It doesn't appear any apps currently support Project Verify, though we may see that change in time. As well, Verify can be used for two-factor authentication.

There are obvious upsides to such a service, one of which is no longer having to manually enter the password for a supported app. However, it does seem that anyone with access to a phone using Verify could access these accounts if they're able to access the phone itself. That would put the burden on the handset's security and require the user to setup a biometric barrier, PIN, or similar option.

SOURCE: Project Verify