Nationwide Building Society has responded to a customer inquiry about its adoption of passkeys, following new guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The NCSC, part of GCHQ, recommended on April 23 that users switch from traditional passwords to passkeys, describing them as "more secure".
Passkeys generate a unique digital token linking a device to an online service, often using biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition, or a PIN. The NCSC stated that "the digital industry is moving rapidly towards offering passwordless authentication" and supports public adoption of passkeys.
A Nationwide customer asked the building society for a statement on when it would adopt passkeys for banking. Nationwide replied: "At present Nationwide has not adopted passkeys, any future changes will be clearly communicated in advance. We don't currently have an announcement or timeline to share on passkeys."
Currently, Nationwide offers multiple login methods. For its app, users can log in via Touch ID, Face ID, or by entering selected digits from their passnumber. For internet banking, customers enter their customer number and date of birth, then either input their passnumber and receive a text verification code, or use a debit card and card reader.
