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UK Government Enables Passkey Login for 23 Million Users to Fight Phishing Attacks
UK Government enables optional passkey login for GOV.UK One Login, offering 23 million users phishing-resistant FIDO authentication.
The UK government has rolled out passkey authentication for GOV.UK One Login, the single sign-on for services like tax, State Pension, and driver's license renewals, available to over 23 million users. Passkeys are device-bound, unlocked via fingerprint, Face ID, or device PIN, and the government reports they are up to eight times faster than password plus two-step verification. During the initial trial over 300,000 users adopted passkeys, with nearly one in ten daily sign-ins already using them, saving roughly £600 per day in SMS costs. The NCSC endorses passkeys as phishing-resistant credentials that cannot be intercepted or reused, and biometric data never leaves the user's device.
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Peers ask why UK cyber bill leaves execs off the personal liability hook
UK peers propose amendments to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill adding personal executive liability and board-level cyber responsibility; government defends fines-only approach.
Baronesses Kidron and Ludford backed amendments to the UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill that would introduce personal civil liability for senior executives and mandate board-level cybersecurity responsibility, citing NIS2 and financial-sector accountability rules. Cybersecurity minister Baroness Lloyd defended the bill's existing regime of fines up to £17 million or 4% of annual turnover, with governance requirements to come via secondary legislation. Peers also debated the bill's 24-hour and 72-hour incident reporting requirements, with Baroness Harding proposing an additional 14-day intermediate report and a one-month final report.
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Cyber Essentials Has Record Year but Takeup Remains Low
UK Cyber Essentials certifications hit a record 61,430 in the year to June 2026, up 20%, but uptake remains low among 5.7 million SMEs.
The UK government awarded a record 61,430 Cyber Essentials certificates between July 2025 and June 2026, a 20% year-over-year increase, including 46,245 basic self-assessed and 15,185 audited CE+ certifications. Roughly three-quarters were recertifications, and uptake remains low against an estimated 5.7 million UK SMEs. An ESET survey found 49% of UK SMEs suffered a cyber incident in the past year, while the Cyber Resilience Pledge and the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill aim to push certification through supply chains.
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UK Government Begins Moving 23 Million Users Away From Passwords
UK government rolls out passkeys for GOV.UK One Login, giving 23 million users phishing-resistant passwordless access to public services.
The UK government has begun deploying passkeys across GOV.UK One Login for more than 23 million users, replacing passwords and SMS one-time codes with FIDO2 cryptographic credentials. A trial saw over 300,000 people adopt passkeys, and nearly one in ten daily authentications already use them, cutting SMS verification costs by almost £600 per day. Passkeys remain optional, with password-based sign-in retained as a fallback, and the NCSC endorses the approach as phishing-resistant.
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