What Is Passkey Authentication and How Does It Work?
Blog post from Ory
Passkeys represent a significant shift in digital authentication by replacing traditional passwords with a public-private key pair, offering enhanced security and user convenience. Unlike passwords, passkeys eliminate shared secrets, storing only the public key on servers, making them resistant to phishing and credential stuffing attacks. The authentication process involves biometrics or device PINs, with the private key securely stored on user devices, ensuring it never leaves the hardware. Supported by open standards like WebAuthn, FIDO2, and CTAP, passkeys work seamlessly across major browsers and operating systems, providing a unified login method that integrates multi-factor authentication into a single step. While device-bound passkeys offer strong security guarantees, synced passkeys enhance usability by allowing access across multiple devices through encrypted cloud storage. Despite some challenges, such as account recovery and ecosystem fragmentation, passkeys offer a robust alternative to passwords, reducing the risk of breaches and improving user experience.
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