Passwordless: A Password-Free Future, But What Are the Differences?

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Passwordless adoption is growing rapidly, driven by the need to improve security and simplify the user experience. However, the term "passwordless" can be interpreted in different ways depending on the context and the technology used. In this article, we will explore the two main categories of passwordless systems and their fundamental differences.

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1. Passwordless Based on Alternative Authentication

This category includes all those methods that eliminate the need to manually type a password, but still rely on underlying credentials. Some common examples include:

Biometric authentication: systems such as Touch ID and Face ID allow you to log in to devices and services without entering a password, using fingerprint or facial recognition instead.
One-time codes (OTP): received via SMS, email, or authentication app, these temporary codes avoid the direct use of a password.
Magic links: sent via email and allow one-click access, without requiring a password.
Trusted device authentication: if a user is already logged in on a trusted device, they can authenticate on another device without typing a password.

In these cases, while the user is not required to type a password, the authentication system may still rely on a stored password or a traditional credential infrastructure.

2. Passwordless Based on Public Key Cryptography

A real revolution in security comes with passwordless systems that completely eliminate the dependence on traditional passwords, replacing them with authentication mechanisms based on public key cryptography. This method guarantees a higher level of security and reduces the risks associated with credential theft. Some examples include:

Passkey (FIDO2/WebAuthn): a system that uses locally generated cryptographic key pairs, where the private key is stored securely on the user's device and the public key is registered on the server. Authentication occurs without transmitting a password.
Hardware key authentication (YubiKey, Titan Key): physical devices that generate and store cryptographic keys for secure authentication.
Digital certificates: used to authenticate users and devices without passwords, via a public key infrastructure (PKI).

These systems completely eliminate the use of passwords and offer much stronger protection against phishing attacks, credential stuffing and other cyber threats.

2.1 How Public Key Cryptography Works

The cryptographic key-based authentication system uses a mathematical mechanism involving two keys: a public key and a private key (for simplicity you can think of the keys as if they were files with undecipherable text inside). Here's how it works in a simple way:

Key generation: Upon registration, the user's device creates a pair of cryptographic keys (one public and one private).
Private key: This remains secret and is stored securely on the user's device. It is never shared with anyone else.
Public key: As the name suggests, since it is public, it can be sent and registered with the online service (for example, a website or an app).
Authentication: When the user wants to log in, the service (e.g. the website) sends a cryptographic "challenge" that only the private key can solve. If the device responds correctly, access is granted without the need for a password.

This method ensures that no sensitive credentials are transmitted over the network (the private key remains stored on your device) and prevents malicious people from stealing the keys via phishing attacks or compromised databases (since the databases will only store the public key which alone is useless 🥳).

2.2 What to Do in the Event of Device Loss

One of the main concerns associated with adopting passwordless systems based on cryptographic keys is the loss of the device on which the access keys are stored. However, there are effective strategies to mitigate this risk:

Backup of keys: many passwordless solutions allow you to back up the cryptographic keys on another device or in a secure cloud system.
Authentication on multiple devices: using multiple registered devices (for example, a smartphone and a laptop) guarantees an alternative access route in the event of the loss of one of them.
Recovery via provider: some services allow the registration of alternative recovery methods, such as backup physical security keys or secondary authentications via email or verified phone numbers.
Recovery codes: provided during registration, these codes can be used to restore access in the event of an emergency.

By following these best practices, users can minimize the risk of losing access to their accounts and devices, ensuring a secure and efficient passwordless experience.

So what are the differences that we should not forget?

The distinction between passwordless based on alternative authentication and passwordless based on public key cryptography is essential to understand the real benefits in terms of security. While the first approach improves the user experience by avoiding the insertion of passwords, the second represents a real leap in quality in the protection of digital identities.

The adoption of passwordless systems based on cryptographic keys eliminates the need to store passwords on external servers of service providers such as Facebook, Amazon, LastPass, 1Password and others. This drastically reduces the risk of data breaches and credential theft, since there will no longer be centralized password databases to attack. Users will have full control of their credentials, making authentication more secure and private.

The future of cybersecurity is increasingly moving towards encryption-based solutions, ensuring a safer and more efficient digital world.