Passwords are the most prevalent method of authentication, yet also one of the weakest. Anyone can guess or steal them easily, while many individuals also use one password across multiple accounts - making cyber-attacks possible due to this common practice.
Due to the sheer volume of passwords people need to memorize, bad habits have developed that make it easier to crack passwords - like creating weak passwords or storing them on nonsecure systems.
61% of data breaches are the result of stolen or compromised credentials.
Passkeys have quickly become an increasingly popular solution, providing greater security than passwords while being an easier way to log into accounts.
What Is Passkey Authentication?
Passkeys generate a unique code with each login attempt that the server validates; this code is generated based on information about both the user and device used to log-in.
Passkeys can be thought of as digital credentials. A passkey provides a way for an account holder to authenticate themselves in web-based services or cloud accounts without the need to enter their username and password separately.
This authentication technology relies on Web Authentication (WebAuthn), an integral component of FIDO2, an authentication protocol which uses public key encryption technology to verify users instead of password authentication.
Devices belonging to users contain authentication keys for login to sites supporting passkeys.
Passkeys offer an ideal alternative to passwords.
More Secure
Although passkeys may be easier for hackers to break than passwords, especially those generated using biometric and device data, passkeys offer greater security.
Biometric information includes fingerprint or facial recognition while device details include things such as its MAC address or location. Hackers would find it more challenging to gain entry to your accounts with such protection in place.
Passkeys Are More Convenient
Passkeys offer several advantages over password authentication.
Password authentication requires remembering a large number of complex passwords - this process can be time-consuming and tedious to carry out.
Resetting passwords can be a time-consuming task; on average it takes three minutes 46 seconds.
Passkeys provides an easy solution to this dilemma by creating one unified code which can be used across all of your accounts, making access simpler while decreasing the possibility of forgetting or misplacing passwords.
Phishing-Resistant
Scammers have increasingly turned to phishing to gain credentials. Scammers will send emails alerting users that something is amiss; clicking on one of the links leads them to an impersonated login page designed to steal their username, password and credit card data.
This won't work for users authenticating using device passkey authentication; even if an attacker knew the password for an account, device passkey authentication will prevent accessing that account.
Are Passkeys Worth the Investment?
Passkeys represent the future of authentication technologies; however, there could still be drawbacks if adopted immediately.
Passkeys Are Still Widely Adopted
Unfortunately, Passkeys have yet to become widely adopted in most websites and cloud services; passwords remain more widely utilized at present. Passkeys do not yet appear to be widely available for purchase.
Users may still need to use passwords on certain accounts; passkeys won't become widely popular until then; using both passkeys and passwords across multiple accounts could create some confusion.
Passkeys Passkeys can be quickly created and are free. Simply register for any website to create one and you will get one created.
Passkeys require additional hardware and software
In order to generate and validate codes, making the implementation costlier than initially anticipated; however, savings may result from improved security as well as user experience improvements - so the benefits can outweigh costs!
Prepare for the Future of Authentication Now
Passkeys provide an attractive and secure alternative to passwords. Though easier for hackers to crack, passkeys also make login simpler - providing businesses with another means of access. Although not widely adopted yet, businesses will need to budget accordingly when considering its implementation.
Passkeys offer an exciting solution to weak passwords; they improve cybersecurity while increasing productivity both personally and commercially.
Need assistance improving identity & account security?
Check out passkey authentication now - now is the time to implement it for your company!
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