Cloudflare is starting a test to replace captchas with authentication keys. Users can then use Yubikeys, among other things, to authenticate themselves. 

We've all been there, on one hand, it's a necessary evil against bots, while some just like these puzzles.  However, is observing problems with the security mechanism and has suggested replacing it completely.

Captchas are designed to keep bots out of websites, so that all users are human. According to Cloudflare, it currently takes about 32 seconds for a user to solve the puzzle. There are about 4.6 billion internet users, and the average internet user would encounter one captcha about every ten days. That means that about 500 years of productive time per day is wasted solving captchas. Cloudflare calls the new authentication system Cryptographic Attestation of Personhood.

In the first test, users retrieve three keys that you keep local, types of Yubikeys. Instead of clicking on pictures of buses and bicycles, users can click on 'I am human' and plug in their key into their PC, or authenticate it via nfc on a smartphone.

According to Cloudflare, physical keys are also a more privacy-friendly way of authentication, although the company admits that the solution is not perfect. For example, Cloudflare still knows which security key and hardware a user has.

Cloudflare wants to replace annoying captcha puzzles