What is a Passkey?
Key Takeaways
- Passkeys are an innovative security feature that replaces traditional passwords with advanced cryptographic techniques and biometrics.
- Passkeys use public key cryptography, generating a private key stored on the user’s device and a public key stored on the server.
- Passkeys offer convenience and provide enhanced security by eliminating the risk of password breaches and phishing attacks.
- The risks surrounding passkeys include device dependency, adoption challenges, and compatibility issues.
With more and more activities migrating online, you’d be forgiven for thinking that life was getting easier. But digital life brings its own complexities. A recent study by NordPass revealed the average person now manages a staggering 168 passwords! Although your trusted login credentials are meant to secure your data, traditional passwords often fall short of protecting you, with the recent RockYou2024 hack undescoring the risks. This is where passkeys come in.
Passkeys, a relatively new concept in cyber security, aaim to make passwords a thing of the past, and are said to enhance security and better ease of use. In this article, we will examine this technology, so you can leverage it yourself.
What Is a Passkey?
A passkey, in a cybersecurity context, is a security feature designed to replace passwords. Instead, it uses public key cryptography to authenticate user identity, providing a passwordless method for accessing your apps and personal accounts.
Why Does it Matter?
Traditional passwords entail a number of different risks. For example, user generated passwords are generally weak, and can be easily guessed or hacked. The recent RockYou2024 hack saw 10 billion user credentials published online, one of the largest data leaks ever recorded.
To compound matters, users also tend to use the same, or similar passwords across multiple applications. This makes your password a single point of failure, multiplying your potential damage if it’s ever compromised. So passwords are an imperfect security credential, offering some protection while also introducing various risks to users.
Passkeys offer an alternative, enabling you to identify yourself without relying on a password. This provides a simpler and more secure system for digital identification.
How do Passkeys Work?
Passkeys combine two main technologies to authenticate users
- Public-key cryptography
- Biometric data or a pin code
To start using passkeys on your device, you’ll initiate the set-up process using biometric authentication. This might entail using facial recognition, digital fingerprint or a pin code.
When you set up a passkey, your device will generate a pair of cryptographic keys. The first is a private key, which is securely stored on your device. The second is a public key, which is stored on the server of the associated service. These two keys are cryptographically linked: only your private key will ever be able to read messages encrypted by the corresponding public key. This is how passkeys verify your identity.
During each login process, the server sends a “challenge” to the user’s device. The device then uses the private key to sign this challenge, verifying that it holds the other half of the unique key pair.
Types of Passkeys
Depending on the number of devices they can be used on, passkeys fall into two categories:
- Synced
Synced passkeys are created on one device and can be securely synchronized across multiple devices through a cloud service. This allows users to access their accounts from different devices while maintaining high security.
- Device-Bound
Device-bound passkeys are generated and stored on a single device, ensuring the private key never leaves the device. Users can, however, generate a QR code from the current device and use it to log in from a different device by simply scanning the code.
Passkey vs Password – What’s the Difference?
Passkeys and passwords serve the same fundamental purpose – to authenticate users. However, they differ significantly along the following points:
- How authentication data is generated
- Underlying technology
- Resistance to hacks and phishing
- Level of adoption
Passwords
Passwords rely on user-generated and memorized strings of characters. The glaring weakness of passwords is that they can be read by humans. This makes them susceptible to various attacks like phishing, brute force, and credential stuffing. Additionally, platforms often encourage you to create stronger passwords by adding special characters and numbers to them. While this makes a password harder to crack, it can also lead to another problem – forgetting it.
Did You Know: MIT computer science professor Fernando Corbato created the first digital password back in 1961. The reason? A couple of users had to use the same computer.
Passkeys
Passkeys, on the other hand, use cryptographic keys that are inherently more secure and less prone to human error. This is because, unlike a password, the cryptographic keys are never actually seen by the user. This means the data can’t be stolen in the traditional sense. Instead, the keys are generated and managed by the device and the server.
How Are Passkeys Better Than Passwords?
Passkeys are generally considered an upgrade from passwords, and offer a few notable advantages. These include:
- Enhanced Security: Unlike passwords, which use strings of characters, passkeys utilize cryptographic keys. This eliminates the risk of password breaches and reduces the likelihood of cyber attacks.
- Convenience: With passkeys, remembering the exact words, symbols and numbers is a thing of the past. Users no longer need to memorize or type passwords, streamlining the login process.
- Resilience: Due to the way they work, passkeys are immune to common attacks that exploit password weaknesses. Users won’t have to worry about brute force attacks and credential stuffing.
Risks to Consider
While passkeys offer some clear benefits, they are not without risks. Some of the most common concerns include:
- Device Dependency: Since the private key is stored on the user’s device, losing the device could result in access issues. Synced passkeys overcome this problem.
- Biometric Problems: If any changes occur to your chosen biometrics, you can have trouble accessing their accounts.
- Compatibility Issues: Not all systems and services currently support passkeys, which limits their usefulness.
Will Passkeys Replace Passwords?
As the need for more secure and user-friendly authentication methods grows, we might see a potential shift from passkeys to passwords. However, the widespread adoption of these cruptographic cedentials means overcoming some challenges. Chief among these are user education and mass adoption by digital platforms. In time, as more platforms and devices begin to support this technology matures, passkeys will likely become a mainstream alternative to passwords.
Whether passkeys will completely replace passwords is an entirely different question. The security advantages of this technology over traditional passwords are evident. They’re less vulnerable to common attacks, which frequently compromise traditional passwords. Using public-key cryptography also eliminates the need for users to remember and manage multiple complex passwords. This spells a better login experience that is more convenient and streamlined. Despite these advantages, passwords will probably continue to exist for the foreseeable future.
How Do I Start Using Passkeys?
Using this technology yourself is probably easier than you think, and doesn’t require any specific knowledge. Here’s how you get started:
- Check Compatibility: Ensure that both your device and the services you want to use support passkeys. The majority of modern smartphones, computers and tablets, as well as many popular platforms, such as Amazon, Google and TikTok, are beginning to integrate this technology.
- Enable Device Support: Go to the security settings of your device and look for options related to passkeys or biometric authentication.
- Create a Passkey: When setting up an account or logging into a service that supports passkeys, opt to create a passkey. This involves setting up a biometric authentication method, such as facial recognition or a fingerprint, or using a PIN.
- Link Your Device: The service you’re trying to access will guide you through linking your passkey. This could entail scanning a QR code or entering a verification code sent to your device. Completing the procedure successfully will associate the passkey with your account.
Once you’re all set up, you can use your passkey for future logins. Simply authenticate using your biometric method or PIN, and the cryptographic keys will handle the rest.
Synced passkeys will allow you to sync multiple devices over the cloud and use the same . With device-bound passkeys, you can generate a QR code and scan it with a nearby device to get access.
Closing Thoughts
Passkeys represent a significant advancement in cyber security, offering enhanced protection and convenience compared to traditional passwords. While they come with certain challenges, their potential to improve digital security makes them a promising alternative to passwords. As technology continues to evolve, staying informed and adapting to new security measures like passkeys will be crucial in protecting your digital information.
