Is it time to say goodbye to the password?

Microsoft's Bill Gates predicted the death of the password as long ago as 2004, yet we're still heavily reliant on them for our day-to-day security.

Part of the reason the password has lingered so long is the lack of solutions that provide security combined with ease of use.

Now though thanks to the widespread adoption of smartphones we may be getting closer to seeing the death of the one-time password. SSL certificate supplier SSLs.com has produced an infographic looking at the alternative authentication methods that are set to take over.

Biometric security methods range from the fingerprint readers we're increasingly familiar with to technologies that can detect your cardiac rhythm, scan the shape of your ear -- perhaps not so useful for boxers -- or even read your brainwaves.

Other authentication technologies involve syncing your phone to other devices, proximity devices or wearables that authenticate devices within range. There's even the possibility that you could swallow a pill or have a tattoo that lets your body act as an authentication token.

For a look at these and other methods of eliminating the need for a password you can see the full infographic below.

Photo Credit: Dr. Cloud/Shutterstock