We all use passwords every day to login into websites, mobile apps, devices etc.  Typically, we should remember all passwords that we use. Passwords are hard to use securely. If we create a password that is easy to remember will be easier for the attackers to predict/ guess. Because of the vulnerabilities in the traditional password system Multi Factor Authentication came into the authentication technology.

MFA is an authentication method that requires the user to provide more than one verification data to get access to a resource such as an application, VPN, online account. MFA decreases the cyber-attack possibility up to a good extend.    Still MFA also had some pros and cons. One of the disadvantages of MFA is increase in management complexity. Also, user may get locked if they lose or unable to use their other factor/ data.

Passkeys are replacement for passwords. They are faster and easier to sign in. And much more secure than any other authentication method. User will get password-less sign-in experience on websites and apps using passkeys. Passkeys are resistant to phishing, always strong and unique for each app or website. Just use touch ID or Face ID to authenticate and that’s it.

How passkeys works:

Passkeys offer a superior user experience compared to traditional passwords, but their advantages extend far beyond convenience. They effectively eliminate a host of security issues, including weak and recycled credentials, the risk of credential leaks, and susceptibility to phishing attacks. What’s more, they are remarkably user-friendly.

With passkeys, the device generates a unique and cryptographically robust key pair for each user’s account. This key pair is securely stored in the user’s iCloud Keychain, ensuring that it seamlessly synchronizes and functions across all their devices running macOS Ventura and iOS 16.

Rather than having a single, type able string, a passkey is actually a pair of related keys. The keys are individually and securely generated by the user’s device for each account. Of the two keys created, one is the public key, and it is safely stored on the server. The other is private and stays on user’s devices even when signing in. The public key is not a secret. It’s just as public as user’s username. The private key is what is needed to actually sign in. The server never knows the private key of the user and user’s devices keep it safe.

When saving the passkey, user didn’t have to come up with a new password or try to satisfy any complexity requirements. Each passkey is generated by the system and guaranteed to be strong and only ever used for a single account. When a user signing in with a passkey, it can be shown in the existing sign-in flows user used to, and it’s a single tap to use. Passkeys work on the web too. Another important feature for a password replacement is the ability to share accounts between two or more people. To share a passkey with someone else, user can use Air Drop.

Summary:

·     Passkeys are much more secure than any other authentication method.

·     User don’t have to remember complex passwords or type out passkeys manually.

·     User’s private key is never shared with the website user wants to sign-in.

·     Passkeys are heavily secured, and it always stands away from phishing and social engineering attacks.