Passkeys
Passkeys are cryptographic credentials that replace passwords entirely, using public key cryptography to authenticate users. They exist on devices the user owns and can be synced across devices, making authentication both more secure and more convenient than passwords.
# WHAT TEAMS RUN INTO
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Passkeys require device trust assumptions that may not hold. If a device is compromised, the private key can be extracted or the passkey mechanism can be bypassed.
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Recovery and account lockout become new problems. If all passkeys are lost or inaccessible, users can be permanently locked out without a clear recovery path.
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Application support is uneven. Passkeys work for web and mobile but not for SSH, VPN, or legacy protocols that still demand passwords. Organizations end up with a hybrid world instead of full migration.
# WHY IT MATTERS
Passkeys are a fundamental rethinking of authentication, moving from knowledge factors (passwords) to possession and biometric factors. They eliminate entire categories of attacks like credential stuffing and phishing. But they also shift trust from the user knowing something to the user owning a device and the device being secure. Passkeys are more secure than passwords, but that security only holds if device trust is real.