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Managing your online passwords can be a chore.

Creating the sort of long, complicated passwords that best deter cyber-thieves especially for dozens of different online accounts can be tedious. But it's necessary, considering the record number of data breaches in the U.S. last year.

That's why it's so enticing to dream about a future where nobody has to constantly update and change online passwords to stay ahead of hackers and keep data secure. Here's the good news: Some of the biggest names in tech are already saying that the dream of a password-less internet is close to becoming a reality. Apple, Google and Microsoft are among those trying to pave the way.

In that hopeful future, you'd still have to prove your identity to access your accounts and information. But at least you wouldn't have to remember endless strings of unique eight-character (or longer) passwords, right?

Well, maybe not quite. The answer is still a little complicated.

In theory, removing passwords from your cybersecurity equation nixes what former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff has called "by far the weakest link in cybersecurity." More than 80% of data breaches are a result of weak or compromised passwords, according to Verizon.

In September, Microsoft announced that its users could go fully password-less to access services like Windows, Xbox, and Microsoft 365. Microsoft users can instead use options like the Windows Hello or Microsoft Authenticator apps, which use fingerprints or facial recognition tools to help you log in securely.

Microsoft also allows users to log in using a verification code sent to your phone or email, or with physical a security key resembling a USB drive that plugs into your computer and features an encryption unique to you and your device.

Joy Chik, Microsoft's vice president of identity, wrote in a September company blog post that tools like two-factor authentication have helped improve users' account security in recent years but hackers can still find ways around those extra measures. "As long as passwords are still part of the equation, they're vulnerable," she wrote.

Similarly, Google sells physical security keys, and its Smart Lock app allows you to tap a button on your Android or iOS device to log into your Google account on the web. In May 2021, the company said these tools were part of Google's work toward "creating a future where one day you won't need a password at all."

Apple's devices have used Touch ID and Face ID features for several years. The company is also developing its Passkeys feature to allow you to use those same fingerprint or facial recognition tools to create password-less logins for apps and accounts on your iOS devices.

So, in a sense, a password-less future is already here: Microsoft says "nearly 100%" of the company's employees use password-less options to log into their corporate accounts. But getting every company to offer password-less options to employees and customers will surely take some time and it might be a while before everyone feels secure enough to dump passwords in favor of something new.

That's not the only problem, either.

Doing away with passwords altogether is not without risks.

First, verification codes sent via email or text message can be intercepted by hackers. Even scarier: Hackers have shown the ability to trick fingerprint and facial recognition systems, sometimes by stealing your biometric data. As annoying as changing your password might be, it's much harder to change your face or fingerprints.

Second, some of today's password-less options still ask you to create a PIN or security questions to back up your account. That's not much different from having a password. In other words, tech companies haven't yet perfected the technology.

And third, there's an issue of widespread adoption. As Wired pointed out last year, most password-less features require you to own a smartphone or some other type of fairly new device. And while the vast majority of Americans do own a smartphone, those devices range dramatically in terms of age and internal hardware.

Plus, tech companies still need to make online accounts accessible across multiple platforms, not just on smartphones and also to the people who don't own smartphones at all, roughly 15% of the U.S.

In other words, it will likely still be some time before passwords are completely extinct. Enjoy typing your long, complex strings of characters into login boxes while you can.

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Some of tech's biggest names want a future without passwords here's what that would look like - CNBC

You only need two things to make money in the stock market: time and a portfolio of high-quality stocks. To be clear, that doesn't mean you need to be right every time you buy a stock. It just means you need to research what you're buying before you invest. Look for businesses that have durable competitive advantages and big market opportunities.

Personally, once I've identified a stock I want to buy, I rank it as either gold, silver, or bronze based on my conviction. I tend to allocate a little less capital to my low-conviction ideas and a little more to my high-conviction ideas. Cloudflare ( NET -3.32% ) falls into the high-conviction category, and with the stock trading 52% below its high, you can buy a few shares on sale right now.

Here's what you should know.

Image source: Getty Images.

Cloudflare is the highway of the internet. Its global cloud platform interconnects with 10,000other networks -- including internet service providers, public cloud vendors, and large enterprises -- which positions its servers within 50 milliseconds of 95% of internet users worldwide. That infrastructure is a significant competitive advantage, and it allows Cloudflare to accelerate and secure its clients' applications and networks.

Despite facing intense competition from vendors like Amazon and Microsoft, Cloudflare has differentiated itself in a few key ways. For instance, its platform is designed to be infrastructure-neutral. Vendors like Amazon and Microsoft tend to favor their own technologies, but Cloudflare works with on-premise data centers and public clouds. Its platform gives clients visibility and control over their entire IT ecosystems.

Additionally, Cloudflare offers a free service tier that has drawn a significant number of non-paying users to its platform. In fact, its content delivery network powers 19%of the internet -- more than every other cloud vendor combined. How is that an advantage? Cloudflare leverages those free users to test new products and gather data, and it uses that data to inform and accelerate development decisions.

Finally, Cloudflare has innovated at an incredible pace over the last decade, building a robust portfolio of application, network, and security services. The company also offers developer tools that help clients build websites, software, and services on its cloud platform. In fact, Forrester Research recently recognized Cloudflare as the leader in edge development, citing its stronger current offering and stronger growth strategy.

Digital transformation has become an imperative. Enterprises must keep pace with technology if they hope to remain competitive, and that has Cloudflare growing like wildfire. It surpassed 140,000 paying customers in 2021, up 26%from the prior year, and the average customer spent 25% more. As a result, revenue soared 52% to $656 million and the company generated positive cash from operations of $65 million, up from a loss of $17 millionin the prior year.

Looking ahead, Cloudflare has plenty of room to grow. Management puts its addressable market at $86 billion in 2022, but expects that figure to reach $100 billion by 2024. And one product accounts for about half of that figure: Cloudflare One.

Organizations have traditionally protected their sensitive data by routing all traffic through a central corporate hub. That's where security policies have been enforced and threats have been blocked. But that approach is costly -- both in terms of hardware and IT manpower -- and it's becoming increasingly irrelevant, because many corporate resources now live in the cloud.

Cloudflare One, a secure access service edge (SASE), allows clients to provision network connectivity and security through the internet, without investing in costly on-premise appliances. That means traffic is no longer routed through a corporate hub. Instead, requests are routed through Cloudflare, where traffic is inspected and zero-trust security policies are enforced. That makes it possible for employees to quickly and securely connect to corporate resources (and the internet) regardless of device or location.

By 2025, research company Gartner believes at least 60%of enterprises will have plans to implement SASE solutions, up from just 10% in 2020. That accelerated adoption should be a powerful tailwind for Cloudflare.

Despite falling sharply from its high, Cloudflare stock still trades at a pricey 53 times sales. With a valuation like that, investors should expect volatility. The stock could easily get cut in half again. However, Cloudflare is an impressive business with a massive market opportunity, and despite the rich valuation, I think the stock is worth buying. In fact, if revenue continues to growat a rapid clip, I think this $36 billion business could grow fivefold (or more) in the next decade.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis even one of our own helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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1 High-Conviction Growth Stock Down Over 50% to Buy Now - The Motley Fool

Kenyon Farrow| Guest columnist

Republican Larry Householder talks to the press after his expulsion

Expelled and indicted, Republican Larry Householder didn't rule out running for political office again.

Laura A. Bischoff, The Columbus Dispatch

At this point most peopleare familiar with House Bill 616, which somehave nicknamed Ohio's Dont Say Gay."

The bill would ban "any curriculum or instructional materials on sexual orientation or gender identity" and "divisive or inherently racist concepts and any other concept that the state board of education defines as divisive or inherently racist."

More: What's in Ohio House Bill 616, the divisive concept bill that includes sexual orientation?

And while there is a lotof discussion to be had about why these bills are bad for students andeducation, thats not theirintended purpose.

More: Kenyon Farrow: 'Too smart' Dave Chappelle has fallen for 'old right-wing political device'

In addition to being a cheap and cynical political ploy to scapegoat the LGBTQ and Black and brown people whove fought for education curricula to represent the full experiences of people in the U.S. and in Ohio, these bills are really a way to keep the total and utter ubiquity of scandals the Republican legislators are facing out of the minds of Ohioans when they go to the polls this year.

TheGOP does not want Ohioansto think about House Bill 6as they enter the voting booth.

Passed in 2019, the billwas a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants and two coal plantsone of which is not even in the state of Ohioas ostensibly a favor to First Energy, who stood to make $170 million annually as a result (this isnt counting the $61 million in bribes that were used to push the bill through).

As of now, five people former House SpeakerLarry Householder of Glenford includedhave been arrested.

Sam Randazzo, whoGov. MikeDeWines appointedOhio Public Utilities Commission chair,was paid $4 million from FirstEnergy.

More: Top state regulator paid millions for part-time work, FirstEnergy agreement shows

Questions still remain as to what point DeWine knew about the alleged bribe being paid.

Instead of talking about this, were spending time talking about whether kids should learnone of their classmates may have two moms or dads.

But there is much worse.

.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Ohioans were dying by the dozens per day and millions were out of work due to stay at home orders, the lack of legislative approved funding for basic internet security and technology upgrades allowed for scammers to file fraudulent claims, costing the state $3.8 billion,and costing hunger and hardship to everyday Ohioans who were out of work and not able to meet their own basic needs.

Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran, who owned stock in United Healthcare gave their Ohio subsidiary (United Healthcare Community Plan of Ohio) the state contract to manage the states Medicaid program, even while theyve been ranked almost dead-last on federal oversight reports and denying the contract of a company that ranked near the top.

In essence, Corcoran handed $1.2 billion in 2019 alone in funds paid for by Ohioans through taxes to a company ranked low in its transparency and oversight.

Corcoran has refused to hand over its oversight documents and even say if she took these federal oversight reports into consideration when she chose to hand the system over to them to manage.

Waittheres even more.

More: Our View: While your groceries go up, DeWine, LaRose, Huffman, Cupp waste millions to keep power

The Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved a measure in 2018 to put an end to partisan gerrymandering, and 2021 was the year to redraw the districts based on the then-newly released census data.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission, which is dominated by five Republicans, refused to sit down and create a transparent and open process for setting new maps to not break communities up and create oddly carved out districts merely to benefit one part or another.

More: In Ohio's redistricting battle, Gov. Mike DeWine said he'd take the lead. But did he?

They would not meet with the twoDemocrats on the commission and over and over, submitted maps that violated the spirit of the law and gave Ohio voters a big middle finger by creating maps that were heavily partisan.

So much so the Ohio Supreme Court, which has a Republican majority,rejected the maps over, and over and over and over again.

More: Top Ohio House Republican leader: 4 Supreme Court justices should be 'benched'

Thechaos is leading two primary elections instead of one.

The mess will cost Ohioans millions.

These are the issues the Republicans dont want on the minds of Ohioans when they go vote this year. But Ohioans have much on their minds.

Facing a precarious future with a virus that has killed over 38,000 Ohioans alone, most people I know are thinking aboutrising inflation resulting in outrageous food and gas prices.

More: Our view: Let Ohio teachers teach truth. Educators, kids casualties of raging culture war

The GOP is selling the most cynical agenda, scapegoating teachers trying to make sure students are academically and socially prepared to live in a world with other people who may in fact be different from themselves, instead of dealing with the mess theyve left the state after years of supermajorities that they created and are desperate to perpetuate for their own greed and power.

I hope Ohioans see the through the smokescreen.

Kenyon Farrow is a Black gay activist and writer based in Cleveland Heights.He serves on the board of the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland.

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Farrow: Ohio Republicans rather you focus on 'kids with 2 dads' than mountain of scandals - The Columbus Dispatch

Key Takeaways:

By Ken Lo

It wasnt exactly whatDiDi Global Inc.DIDI had in mind when its shares debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last year. But one year later, a hasty exit from New York looks almost inevitable for Chinas answer to Uber. No matter what route it takes including a possible new listing somewhere else the road ahead for the former high-tech superstar will be pockmarked with challenges.

DiDi revealed the first part of its bumpy roadmap forward in astatementlast Saturday, saying it will hold an extraordinary shareholder meeting on May 23 to vote on officially abandoning its New York listing with a privatization. It said it was taking the step to comply with Chinas latest internet security rules. It added it wouldnt seek a listing on any other exchange before the exit is concluded, shooting down talk that it might go public in Hong Kong first before withdrawing from New York.

If shareholders approve the decision, Didi would become the shortest-lived U.S.-listed Chinese stock of all time. The company rushed to complete its IPO last June 30, one day shy of the 100thbirthday of China Communist Party. Its price soared from $14 to as much as $18.01 on its debut, though the euphoria was short-lived. On 4 July, Chinas cyber security regulator accused the company of illegally collecting personal information, touching off a prolonged run-in with regulators that has weighed heavily on its shares ever since.

The stock was already down to $2.46, more than 80% lower than its IPO price, by the end of last week. After announcing its plans to convene the shareholder meeting, the stock slumped further still to close at $1.71 on Thursday. Compared with its IPO valuation of $73 billion, its market cap has contracted nearly 90% to the latest $8.2 billion.

The reality is that Chinas new Cybersecurity Law, which sealed DiDis fate, will have much more impact on U.S.-listed Chinese stocks than U.S. disclosure concerns that have also made recent headlines, wreaking havoc on Chinese shares this year.

The law mandates companies that possess personal information on more than 1 million users must undergo internet security reviews if they plan to go public overseas. Internet platforms with hundreds of millions of users like Didi,AlibabaBABA,Tencent(700.HK),Meituan(3690.HK) and the not-yet-publicly-listedByteDancewill almost certainly be subject to such reviews at some point.

Lack of transparency in the new laws implementation has made it very difficult for internet companies to cope with the new dynamics, said Kenny Wen, a commentator at Everbright Sun Hung Kai Co. Ltd. He pointed out that DiDi was especially hard hit because it possessed a big trove of sensitive data, including the whereabouts of government officials and locations of sensitive institutions.

DiDi was put on the spot as a result of not knowing what exactly were the legal and illegal ways of using data, Wen said. Maybe exiting the U.S. was the only way it knew to get out of the regulatory quagmire.

Wen added that shareholders were likely to green-light the exit plan. Major investors that account for more than 40% of the companys voting shares are likely to vote in favor, even though small and institutional investors who have lost big sums on the stock may vote against. Anyone who refuses to surrender their DiDi shares once the exit is complete will only be able to trade over-the-counter, boding poorly for the price due to lack of liquidity. As a result, small investors may scramble to get out while they can.

The latest information shows that DiDis top four investors are Softbank with 20.08% of its shares, Uber with 11.93%, Tencent with 6.54% and the companys president and CEO Cheng Wei with 6.5%. With 45.1% of the companys shares between them and all in favor of a U.S. withdrawal, an exit is highly likely.

But rather than end its troubles, an exit would only mark the beginning of a cascade of new challenges. DiDi would still need to find ways to meet regulatory demands for its safe handling of sensitive data. At the same time, it will need to keep investing in its business operations to fend off competition at home and abroad, meaning its longer-term sustainability could be at stake.

And even if it can re-list in Hong Kong, the company is likely to fetch a far lower valuation than it initially got in New York. So, the exit is really just a first step to solve its immediate predicament. Additional challenges down the road could include shareholder lawsuits from small investors for failing to reprivatize at a premium, though the company has yet to announce a price for any buyout offer.

DiDis latest financial statementreleasedlast week showed it generated revenue of 173.8 billion yuan ($27 billion) last year, up 22.6% from 2020. But its losses grew far faster from 10.6 billion yuan in 2020 to 49.3 billion yuan last year. Regulatory shocks in the latter half of last year caused the company to log a net investment loss of 20.8 billion yuan in the third quarter, resulting in a 30.6 billion yuan loss for the period. That loss narrowed considerably to 171 million yuan in the fourth quarter, in a rare bit of good news for the company.

By the end of last year, the companys cash and cash equivalents totaled 43.4 billion yuan, up by 24 billion yuan in a single year, mainly due to the addition of 28 billion yuan in new funds from its IPO. Its negative cash flow from operations for the year totaled 13.4 billion yuan. At that rate of spending, the company has enough money to hold out for just two to three years. So, finding a road to breakeven and profitability is a top priority for its survival.

DiDis many China-specific woes might make comparisons with global peers somewhat moot. But to provide some perspective, we can compare its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio withUberUBER andGrabGRAB, two other top-tier ride-hailing services. In that regard, Didis P/S of 0.36 times a tiny fraction of Ubers 11.2 times and Grabs 16.7 times.

The bottom line is that Didi will face many more uphill roads if and when it delists from the U.S., led by the challenges of compliance with Chinas cybersecurity regulations and strengthening its business operations to become profitable. How it meets those challenges could well determine whether it can embark on a new and lucrative journey ahead, or whether its road might come to an abrupt dead end.

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DiDi's Delisting Plan Just the Start of a Tough Road Ahead - Benzinga - Benzinga

Russian cybercriminals dominate the threat landscape, aided largely by a government that has heretofore turned a blind eye to their illicit dealings as long as their attacks target organizations and individuals outside of Mother Russia. However, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Kremlin has made a series of moves that threatens to disrupt the delicate balance that exists between them.

Without an extradition treaty with the United States, most of these cybercriminals operate with impunity or are nabbed when traveling outside of the United States. But in recent months this has not been the case. Several administrators and hosting providers were arrested in Russia in the past year for allegedly breaking the unspoken agreement between the government and cybercriminals. On Jan. 14, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), in concert with US authorities, arrested members of the REvil ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) collective that was responsible for the Kaseya attack. About a week later, the FSB detained four members of the Infraud Organization, including the group's founder, Andrey Novak, who was also wanted by the FBI. Though Russia is responsible for detaining these cybercriminals, these arrests and illicit marketplace takedowns have been few and far between and seem to signal more of a public relations ploy than a formal desire to stop cybercrime that affects its Western counterparts; there is no formal cyber alliance between Russia and the United States.

In some ways, Russian cybercrime has always been different, even in the underground. Russian cybercriminals, often young men, have had the autonomy to target foreign victims and establish various Dark Web-based marketplaces, card shops, and forums that attract like-minded threat actors. Wanted posters for these cybercriminals may very well be accompanied by images that showcase their Instagrammable lifestyles poses that include expensive luxury automobiles, exotic cats, and stacks on stacks of US dollars.

Connection to CybercrimeThere is a demonstrable connection between the Russian government and cybercrime. Public records show that Alyona Eduardovna Benderskaya is the wife of "Evil Corp" ringleader Maxim Yakubets and daughter of FSB agent Eduard Bendersky. The exotic cat-wielding Bogachev has also been associated with Yakubets regarding money laundering for various malware schemes. Former cybercriminal-cum-FSB officer Dmitry Dokuchaev sought the services of Shaltai-Boltai ringleader Vladimir Anikeyev and Yahoobreachers Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan and Karim Baratov. Dokuchaev was also sentenced to six years in prison for treason, so perhaps there is no love lost there. Aleksei Burkov, founder of cybercrime forum "DirectConnection" and co-administrator of "MazaFaka," was recently released from the United States and returned to Russia short of his nine-year sentence. Despite these indictments, all of these Russia cybercriminals remain at large, housed and protected in Russia.

But Russia may unconsciously be eating its own: Russia's war with Ukraine has resulted in a global effort to isolate Putin and, as a result, Russian cybercriminals are feeling the pressure.

For one, Russia has taken an aggressive stance on Internet blocking, which has increased since the start of the war and is affecting the ways in which cybercriminals operate. News and social media websites are actively being censored to create a filter bubble within Russia's borders. Previous reports indicate that Russia has attempted to block Internet protocols such as DNS over HTTPs (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), threatening the security and privacy of Internet communications. Russia is also blocking access to the Tor network, which is having an effect on freedom of speech and the landscape through which cybercriminals can communicate. While dissidents are downloading VPNs in greater numbers, threat actors are actively seeking workarounds that bypass Russia's deep packet inspection (DPI) capability. Threat actor recommendations include "anti-DPI" technology, Tor bridges, and VPN-to-VPN services, though the effectiveness of these countermeasures remains to be seen.

Secondly, Russia previously faltered in implementing its "sovereign Internet," finding difficulty in going from an open global Internet to a closed one. Cybercriminals may be able to gamble on Russia unsuccessfully disconnecting from the Internet. While countries like China have been more successful in closing their borders to disinformation, dissent, and foreign influence, it has come at the cost of vast human, technical, and financial resources. Other examples, such as Iran's walled garden and North Korea's restricted Internet, have demonstrated that cybercrime can persist, though usually it is at the behest of the government.

Thirdly, foreign governments are also making it difficult for Russian cybercriminals to cash out and launder the proceeds of their criminal campaigns. On April 5, German law enforcement, in concert with the US Justice Department, shut down Hydra, Russia's largest cybercrime marketplace. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) followed by sanctioning over 100 cryptocurrency addresses and virtual currency exchange Garantex. The sanctions followed a September 2021 initiative to disrupt ransomware payments by sanctioning Suex, and then Chatex, which have helped facilitate ransomware payments to threat actors. All three were tied to the "Moscow tower," which has been a hub of money laundering and cash-out activity. These sanctions are affecting cybercriminals' ability, in combination with sanctions against Russian financial institutions, to move cryptocurrencies from illicit activities (such as ransomware payouts) into fiat currencies.

Changing Face of CybercrimeCybercrime has a way of transforming. When one threat actor group is taken offline, another one takes its spot. There has never been a shortage of victims, and despite increased cybersecurity, there are always loopholes that can be exploited. Russian cybercriminals will have a difficult time overcoming the recent sanctions, although they are not a panacea. Russia has benefited from an overly permissive stance on cybercrime, and cybercriminals have acted with impunity. However, the increased restrictions on protocols, illicit services, and cybercrime marketplaces will make it increasingly difficult to financially benefit from conducting cyberattacks within Russia's borders. The implicit treaty between Russia and cybercriminals has been broken, and it is yet to be seen how they respond.

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How Russia Is Isolating Its Own Cybercriminals - DARKReading