What is FIDO

As the digital world faces increasing security threats, the reliance on traditional, password-based authentication is becoming obsolete, prompting a shift towards more secure and user-friendly methods like passkeys. Passkeys leverage public-key cryptography to provide a safer alternative by eliminating shared secrets such as passwords and replacing them with unique cryptographic key pairs, significantly reducing vulnerabilities like phishing and credential theft. The FIDO Alliance, a global consortium, is at the forefront of this transition, advocating for passwordless authentication through standards like FIDO2 and WebAuthn, which enable biometric and device-based authentication. These technologies enhance security by ensuring that private keys remain on user devices, protected by biometric verification or local PINs, while public keys used for verification are stored on servers. The integration of passkeys into platforms like Google Chrome demonstrates a significant move towards widespread adoption, simplifying the authentication process and reducing the attack surface. Despite some challenges in educating users and ensuring device compatibility, the transition to passkeys is poised to improve online security and user experience, marking a critical step toward a passwordless future.