Google is upping the ante where it comes to online security, outlining a dramatic new vision of a future where passwords will be shunted aside in favor of dedicated authentication devices for each user of the web.

Naturally, it’s going to take a monumental effort to lead a shift away from passwords to its new scheme, but if anyone can do so then surely it has to be Google. According to the website Wired.com, Google is planning to publish a report next month detailing its vision for a world without passwords, one in which everyone will instead possess a small ‘authentication device’ that seamlessly confirms their identity when they go online.

Google’s VP of Security Eric Grosse has been working on just such a device for some months now, developing a prototype cryptographic USB card called the “YubiKey” and experimenting with a modified version of the Google Chrome browser. So far, so good, but Grosse has plans to develop the technology further and integrate it with smartphones, tablet devices, laptops and every other gadget we use to connect online.

What’s interesting is that the device appears to extend beyond just Google. Grosse, along with engineer Mayank Upadhyay, has developed an independent protocol that is capable of authenticating security devices with no special software. In order to work, users only need to run a browser supporting the protocol, which comes with security features that can prevent websites from tracking users via their security device.

Google has long been concerned about the poor state of online security, seeing passwords as one of the ‘weakest links’ in the digital world. According to Wired.com, Google has considered other methods of enhancing security, such as two-step verification systems like Dropbox and Facebook have initiated. However, Google appears to have lost faith in the idea of passwords altogether, hence this latest research.

Google isn’t the first to propose a future without passwords. Biometric identification systems have been around for quite a few years now, involving the use of a fingerprint or retina scan as an alternative identifier to passwords, but the use of these systems has failed to become widespread.

Some more recent ideas, such as HeartID’s novel ‘heartbeat identification’ system may change that, but Google’s authentication devices are likely to be the best bet given the power of the company backing the idea.

But will it catch on? That remains to be seen, as Google will need to overcome some challenges. For one thing, they’ll need to convince the rest of the web to go along with their plans, something that would likely take years and a huge effort to achieve. In addition, they’ll need to address problems to do with theft and loss of these authentication devices – how can you log in if you lose your device and don’t have a password? How can we prevent thieves from stealing our devices and logging into our accounts?

For now, it’s likely that passwords will remain the lynchpin of online security for some years to come.