Passkeys: The Future of Passwordless Authentication

Tired of the hassle of creating and remembering multiple complex passwords for your various accounts and services? The advent of passkeys may soon bring your wish for a passwordless world closer to reality.

The concept of passkeys gained prominence in the second quarter of 2022 when major tech giants, Google (in May) and Apple (in June), announced their support for this new standard. Google expanded passkey support to Google Chrome and Android in October 2022, and as of May 2023, it has extended this support to personal Google accounts.

As you may have already started hearing about passkeys, it’s important to understand their implications. The idea of eliminating the need for numerous passwords in our digital lives is enticing, but is this the ultimate solution? In this article, we’ll delve deeper into the world of passkeys and explore their potential impact.

The Problem with Traditional Passwords

Traditional passwords have their fair share of issues, primarily stemming from human behavior. Many users ignore security best practices, opting for weak and easily guessable passwords, reusing them across multiple accounts, sharing them, and seldom updating them. Additionally, individuals often fall victim to social engineering and phishing attacks, willingly providing their passwords to cybercriminals.

Automated tools for brute force attacks and security breaches that expose password databases further emphasize the vulnerability of traditional passwords.

What Are Passkeys?

Passkeys, also known as WebAuthn or FIDOAuthn, are digital credentials used for authentication. They serve as a means to verify a user’s identity, granting access to devices, systems, websites, networks, or applications. Unlike traditional passwords, passkeys combine a digital key with additional identifiers, such as a PIN, fingerprint scanning, or facial recognition, enhancing security and making it easier for users to access various services.

Passkeys are a product of collaborative efforts by the World Wide Web Consortium and the FIDO Alliance. These organizations aim to promote passwordless authentication methods, which offer several advantages:

• Enhanced Security: Passkeys incorporate private keys and biometrics, making it extremely difficult for attackers to compromise your authentication.
• Preventing SIM-Swap Attacks: Passkeys are effective in thwarting the dangerous trick of cybercriminals known as SIM-swap attacks.
• Stronger Than SMS Codes: Compared to one-time SMS codes, passkeys offer more robust security, reducing the risk of hacking.
• Phishing Protection: Passkeys provide an extra layer of protection against phishing attacks, which are common with traditional passwords.
• User Error Prevention: By eliminating the need to type and remember passwords, passkeys reduce the risk of human error.
• Non-Reusable and Non-Guessable: Passkeys, typically long strings of characters, cannot be easily guessed or reused, enhancing security.
• Device-Resident: Passkeys are stored on your device, not on external servers, preventing cybercriminals from stealing them through database breaches.

Compatibility Across Devices

Passkeys are not limited to specific devices or platforms. They can be used on a wide range of devices, including:

• Mobile Devices: Passkeys can authenticate your accounts on smartphones and tablets.
• Computers: You can use passkeys to log in to operating systems like MacOS, Windows, and Linux, as well as access online services through web browsers.
• Networking Devices: Modems, routers, and IoT devices can be secured with passkeys.
• Gaming Consoles: Passkeys can protect online gaming accounts on platforms like PlayStation Network, Steam, and Xbox Live.
• Software Applications: Desktop software applications, especially those managing user accounts and sensitive data, can benefit from passkeys.
• Online Services: Passkeys can enhance security for email accounts, social media platforms, cloud services, financial apps, and online banking platforms.
• Other Authentication Services: Passkeys can be integrated into multi-factor authentication methods to bolster security.

How Passkeys Work

Passkeys rely on the WebAuthn or WebAuthentication standard, which employs public key cryptography for securing accounts. Unlike traditional passwords, passkeys use a pair of keys – a public key and a private key. The public key is shared openly, allowing websites and applications to store it. The private key, on the other hand, remains confidential and never leaves your device.

When you log in with passkeys, your device generates a cryptographic signature based on a challenge provided by the website or application. The website then verifies the signature using the public key, granting access upon successful verification.

With passkeys, you’ll only need to unlock your device, eliminating the need for additional passwords to access various services.

Conclusion

Passkeys hold the promise of simplifying authentication while enhancing security. However, several questions and challenges need to be addressed. For instance, managing passkeys across multiple devices and ensuring their security in case of device loss or theft are important considerations.

While the concept of eliminating traditional passwords is appealing, it’s crucial to thoroughly evaluate the security and practicality of passkeys before fully embracing them. Stay tuned for our next article, where we’ll explore these aspects in more detail.