A passkeyis a digital credential used for identity verification and generated automatically using public-key cryptography. It's comprised of a cryptographic key pair that enables secure communication between services during authentication. A user typically authenticates themself through their device's biometric data collection mechanisms or a PIN on the front end, while the encrypted keys exchange necessary authentication information behind the scenes.
A password is a user-generated word, phrase, or string of characters used for identity verification in tandem with a username. It varies in length and is comprised of letters of the alphabet, numbers, symbols, or a combination of any of these. A password is meant to be a memorized or stored secret known only to an authorized user, allowing them access to a device, application, website, system, or service.
Passkeys are generated using public-key cryptography and do not require users to remember or store them for identity verification. In contrast, passwords are generated by users and must be memorized or stored for identity verification. Passkeys are more secure than passwords because they are not susceptible to theft, phishing, or compromise.
| Passkey | Password |
|---|---|
| Digitally and automatically generated | User-generated |
| Not transmitted over the network during authentication | Transmitted over the network during authentication |
| Does not need to be memorized or stored | Must be memorized or stored using a password manager |
| Unique to a specific site or service | Can be reused across different sites or services |
| Cannot be stolen, hacked, or compromised | Vulnerable to stealing, hacking, and compromise |
| Resistant to phishing attacks | Susceptible to phishing attacks |
| Quick and convenient to use | Time-consuming and inconvenient to use |
| Easier to manage | Harder to manage |
| Does not require complex policies to generate a stronger passkey | Requires complex policies to generate a stronger password |
When a user creates a passkey, a private-public key pair is generated and stored on the user's device and in the service they're accessing. This eliminates the need for users to remember passkeys since they are digitally tied to their devices. Passwords, on the other hand, are created by users and must be remembered by them for authentication.
Passkeys are resistant to phishing attacks because there is nothing for a user to remember, unlike with passwords. This means that there is nothing for an attacker to phish out of a user when it comes to passkeys. Passkeys are also resistant to other credential-based attacks, such as replay, brute-force, manipulator-in-the-middle (MitM), and keylogger attacks, because of their strong encryption.
Passwords, unlike passkeys, are typically reused by users across multiple services to simplify remembering them. This makes them susceptible to attacks such as credential stuffing, brute-force, and phishing attacks because even if just a single password is compromised, it can lead to unauthorized access across numerous accounts.
To get users to create strong passwords, it is essential to implement strong password policies. But strong password policies can lead to the creation of overly complex passwords that are hard for users to remember. This can lead to an increase in password reset tickets, which add to the workload of the help desk team.
When logging in using passkeys, users generally authenticate themselves with biometrics (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition) or with a PIN. This enhances both security and convenience, making the login process significantly smoother and faster with passkeys compared to traditional password-based authentication.
ADSelfService Plus, an identity security solution with MFA, SSO, and password management capabilities, provides adaptive MFA with 20 different authentication methods to secure endpoints such as servers, workstations, applications, VPNs, OWA, and RDP. It enables passwordless logins using the phishing-resistant FIDO passkey authenticator to secure your business endpoints against phishing, replay, and MitM attacks. MFA that uses ADSelfService Plus' FIDO passkeys is secure, customizable, and user-friendly.
Passkeys have the potential to replace passwords because they defend better against credential-based attacks need no memorizing, and use strong encryption mechanisms.
Passkeys use public-key cryptography and work by exchanging authentication information between a user's device and the online service it is accessing using cryptographic keys. To gain an in-depth understanding of what passkeys are and how they work, click here.
No, passkeys work using public-key cryptography and don't require Bluetooth. To learn more about what passkeys are and how they work, click here.
Yes, passkeys are easy to create and use when compared to other authentication mechanisms, like passwords and passphrases. They are a preferred option for identity verification because they don't need to be memorized, they use secure cryptographic keys, and they cannot be hacked.
Passkeys use public-key cryptography and work by exchanging authentication information between a user's device and the online service it is accessing using cryptographic keys. To gain an in-depth understanding of what passkeys are and how they work, click here.
