If you’ve been getting pop-ups lately asking you to “set up a passkey,” you’re not alone — and you shouldn’t ignore them. The password as we know it is on its way out, and Apple, Google, and Microsoft are all pushing hard to replace it with something safer and, believe it or not, easier. In this week’s episode of Tech Talk with Refresh Computers, David Levitt and Adam Littlefield break down what passkeys are, why they matter, and how to start using them today. They also cover Refresh Plus (your personal IT support plan), hurricane season tech prep, and a quick trick to free up storage on your phone.
Listen to the Episode
The Password Is a Dinosaur — Here’s Why It’s Going Extinct
Passwords have been around for over 60 years, and for most of that time they’ve done a decent job of keeping our accounts secure. But the world has changed. Artificial intelligence can now guess and crack passwords at a staggering scale. Microsoft reports that roughly 7,000 password attacks happen every second — just on their own website. That’s not a typo. Every second.
AI-powered tools can try millions of password combinations almost instantly. Phishing attacks trick people into handing over credentials every day. And when a website suffers a data breach, stored passwords — sometimes saved in plain text — can be exposed to hackers worldwide. The old advice of “make a strong password” simply isn’t enough anymore.
AI has accelerated the extinction of passwords. Hackers can try millions of combinations instantly, making even “strong” passwords vulnerable.
What Is a Passkey, and How Does It Work?
A passkey lets you sign into websites and apps the same way you unlock your phone — with your face, your fingerprint, or even just a simple PIN. There’s no long, complicated password to remember. Here’s the key difference: a passkey is tied to your device and never gets sent to the website you’re logging into.
With a traditional password, a copy of it lives on the website’s server. If that server gets hacked, your password is exposed. With a passkey, there’s nothing stored on the website for hackers to steal. Each login is a unique, one-time handshake between your device and the site — the code changes every single time, much like how chip-based credit card transactions work.
Google says over 800 million accounts already use passkeys. Microsoft has made passkeys the default for all new accounts and is even removing passwords from its Authenticator app. The writing is on the wall.
When you get prompted to set up a passkey — say yes. It takes about a minute, and it instantly makes your account far more secure. Don’t wait until you’re forced to switch in a rush.
What If I Lose My Phone?
This is one of the most common concerns, and it’s a fair one. The good news is that passkeys sync through your Apple, Google, or Microsoft account. So if you lose your phone or get a new device, your passkeys can be recovered without jumping through a thousand flaming hoops. You can also set up passkeys on multiple devices — your phone, your tablet, and your computer — so you always have a backup way to sign in.
There are also physical passkey devices — small USB fobs you can carry on your keychain. Some even have built-in fingerprint readers for an extra layer of protection. They’re a great option if you prefer having something tangible, though they come with the risk of being lost or misplaced.
Refresh Plus: Like Having an IT Person at Home
Passkeys are just one piece of the security puzzle. Your computer itself also needs ongoing protection and support. That’s where Refresh Plus comes in — a service from Refresh Computers designed to feel like having your own personal IT person on call.
For just $90 per year (though that price will be increasing soon), Refresh Plus includes:
- Three remote support sessions per year — a technician can connect to your computer and help you directly
- Background hardware diagnostics — get alerts if your hard drive or other components start showing signs of failure
- BitDefender antivirus protection — professional-grade security running quietly in the background
- Proactive notifications — if the antivirus blocks something suspicious, the team reaches out to let you know
Many people pay more than $90 a year for antivirus software alone — and those subscriptions don’t come with remote tech support or hardware monitoring. If you’ve ever wished you had an IT person you could just call, Refresh Plus is built exactly for that.
Hurricane Season Tech Prep: Don’t Wait Until the Storm Is Here
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and even in a “mild” year, it only takes one storm to cause serious damage. Here are the tech tips David and Adam shared to help you stay connected and protected.
Back Up Your Data Now
This is the tip people forget most — and regret most. A single lightning strike or power surge can destroy your computer and everything on it. Back up important files to a cloud service like Google Drive, OneDrive, or iCloud, or use an external hard drive. Do it before there’s a storm in the forecast.
Use Surge Protectors and UPS Battery Backups
At a minimum, plug your computer into a surge protector. Even better, invest in a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). A UPS acts as both a surge protector and a battery backup, giving you enough time to save your work and shut down gracefully when the power goes out. It also regulates power, smoothing out those small surges and dips that can damage sensitive electronics.
Important UPS tip: Most UPS units have two sides — one with battery backup plus surge protection, and one with surge protection only. Make sure your computer is plugged into the battery backup side! Also, never plug anything with a motor (laser printers, vacuum cleaners) into a UPS — it can fry the unit.
Refresh Computers sells refurbished UPS systems with brand-new batteries at about half the cost of buying new.
Keep Your Phone Charged and Download Essential Apps
When the power goes out, your phone becomes your lifeline. Keep portable chargers ready, and make sure you have a car charger as a backup. If you have an electric vehicle, charge it to 100% before a storm — it’s essentially a giant battery that can charge your phone and even power parts of your home.
Download weather and emergency apps before you need them:
- WDBO app — weather alerts, tornado warnings, hurricane guides, and evacuation routes
- Florida Storms — geo-targeted forecasts for your specific area
- FEMA app — emergency notifications, shelter locations, and disaster resources
Watch Out for Post-Storm Scams
After every major storm, scammers come out in force. Fake FEMA calls, bogus repair offers, and phishing texts claiming “we see you were in an impacted area” are extremely common. Stay alert, verify any communication through official channels, and never give out personal information to unsolicited callers or texts.
Quick Tip: Free Up Phone Storage in Minutes
Getting that dreaded “Storage Almost Full” notification? Here are two things to check right away:
- Unused apps: Most people only use about 10–20% of the apps on their phone regularly. Delete the ones you haven’t opened in months — they’re taking up space for no reason.
- App data bloat: Some apps grow far beyond their original download size. For example, Facebook might download at 800MB but balloon to 19GB over time as it caches data. Check your phone’s storage settings to see which apps are the biggest offenders.
- Cloud photo backups: Use Google Photos, OneDrive, or iCloud to back up your photos to the cloud, then remove the local copies from your phone. One important note for iPhone users: if you delete a photo from your phone and it’s backed up to iCloud, it also deletes from iCloud. Consider using a third-party cloud service like Google Photos or OneDrive to avoid this.
Need Help? Refresh Computers Is Here for You
Whether you need help setting up passkeys, getting your computer protected with Refresh Plus, preparing your tech for hurricane season, or just freeing up space on your phone, the team at Refresh Computers is ready to help. Call the free Tech Support Hotline at 407-478-8200, visit refreshcomputers.net, or stop by the store at 820 E. State Road 434 in Longwood — just three and a half miles east of I-4. Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 7 PM. Don’t forget to subscribe to Tech Talk with Refresh Computers on your favorite podcast app, and share this episode with someone who’s still reusing the same password everywhere!
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