Passkeys/WebAuthn for Enterprise SSO: A Practical Implementation Guide

The Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024 highlights a significant increase in password spray attacks and the routine bypassing of TOTP-based MFA by adversary-in-the-middle phishing kits, emphasizing the need for more secure authentication methods like WebAuthn. WebAuthn binds credentials to a specific origin at the hardware level, eliminating interceptable tokens and providing a more secure alternative for multi-tenant, SAML-federated B2B SaaS environments. The document offers a guide for implementing WebAuthn with Node.js, addressing issues like RP ID binding in subdomain-based SAML federation and providing an enterprise readiness checklist. It explains how WebAuthn, as part of the FIDO2 standard, acts as a primary or step-up authenticator within federated identity flows to provide phishing-resistant assertions verified alongside or in place of SAML or OIDC credentials. The guide also discusses the technical intricacies of using WebAuthn in conjunction with existing SAML or OIDC flows, advocating for its use as a layered MFA to enhance security without disrupting established federation processes. Additionally, it covers the importance of attestation and device management policies for enterprise security, outlining the steps for registration and authentication ceremonies and the challenges of federating WebAuthn across subdomains.

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