Passkeys
Passwordless login with a key pair stored on your device or password manager, unlocked by fingerprint, face or PIN.
Passkeys are built on the FIDO and WebAuthn standards. The site stores only a public key, so a database leak reveals nothing usable, and the private key works only on the real domain, which defeats phishing pages. Synced passkeys follow the user across devices through their platform account or password manager.
Related terms
- MFA (2FA, multi-factor authentication): Logging in with two or more kinds of proof, such as a password plus a code from an app or a security key.
- SSO (single sign-on): Logging in once with a company account (Microsoft, Google, Okta) to use many apps, managed centrally by IT.
- Phishing: An email that pretends to come from someone you trust to get your password, payment or personal data.
