Yahoo Mail Now Accessible Without Password

Someone at Yahoo! must have had an "Eureka!" moment with the Internet giant's recent introduction of the password-free access to its e-mail services.

At the South by Southwest (SXSW) event Sunday, Yahoo's VP for product management for consumer platforms Dylan Casey announced that users can now log into Yahoo mail without jogging their memories for the password.

"This is the first step to eliminating passwords," he said, as quoted by Yahoo! Tech.

The site also explained how the password-free arrangement works:

"You log into your Yahoo account using your normal passwords. In the security settings, you turn on on-demand passwords and register your phone. Next time you try to login, the password field is replaced by a button that says 'send my password,' and the company texts a four-character password to your phone."

This process may feel familiar to many, as this is similar to the two-factor authentication required by some websites, where a second password is sent to your phone. However, what makes Yahoo's distinct is that you no longer need a permanent code, but depend on what the company sends you.

With this new password-free login process, "hackers would have to be in physical possession of a user's smartphone to know the code and thus access the account," Mashable noted.

Currently, this "on-demand" password arrangement is optional and only available to users in the U.S. To activate this feature, you'll need to sign in to your Yahoo.com account, access your account information page by clicking your name on the top right corner of the screen, click "Security" on the left bar, and slide the button for "On-demand passwords." You will then put in your phone number and wait for Yahoo to send you the verification code, which you will then enter and go on to access your account.

This strategy appears to be a clever alternative to creating tougher passwords that are potentially difficult to remember or even type or having a sophisticated, hack-proof encryption system or safe-guard. Yahoo seems to suggest, "Why not eliminate passwords altogether?"

Yes, why not?

This is not the first time this strategy was looked into, though.

"The world's largest tech companies are working to find the successor to the dated password - and many are turning to biometric readers like fingerprint or eye scanners for a solution," The Verge said. And it appears Yahoo Mail, which "has never been known for its security standards," as noted by Mashable, is joining that quest. Considering that Yahoo was a hacking target last year, its move to beef up e-mail security is a sound one.

Do you agree?