Benefits of Passwordless Authentication

In all my years as a CISO, I’ve never experienced anything quite like this. What began as anxiety over social engineering, MFA weaknesses, and escalating AI threats… turned into one of the biggest surprises of my career. 🤯 Have you ever heard your workforce describe a security rollout as "life-changing" or "better than sliced bread"? 🍞 I didn’t think it was possible—until now. What’s even better? We achieved it while making the most significant leap in risk reduction I’ve ever seen. The secret? We went passwordless. 🙌 Here’s what we gained: 🔒 Unparalleled Security: We tackled the #1 threat—the driver of 80% of breaches—in one decisive move. This also gave us the first, best step toward Zero Trust. ⚡ Enhanced Productivity: We removed daily friction—no more password resets, lockouts, or clunky MFA. It’s saving time and costs, but most importantly: users love it. ❤️ 🤖 Future-Proofing Against AI Threats: We eliminated secrets/KBA from helpdesk calls. AI voice cloning and deepfakes can no longer trick people into giving away access... online or on the phone. But this isn't about what we did—it’s about what we all can do together. 🌎 Imagine a world where static credentials aren’t a risk. Cyber breaches would plummet. 📉 Identity theft and fraud would slow to a crawl. User trust and goodwill would skyrocket. 🚀 As a community, if we eliminated passwords, this could be our future. It wouldn’t be a utopia, but it would absolutely tip the scales in our favor. ⚖️ Let’s drive this transformative change together—and create a safer, better world for everyone. 🌐 💪 Big thanks to the ScrambleID team. Without your innovation, urgency, and partnership, we wouldn’t be here today. Next up: bots and AI agents! #Passwordless #Cybersecurity #Innovation #AIDefense #Equifax #ScrambleID

Microsoft our security teams block 7,000 password attacks every second—a powerful reminder of the constant threats posed by cybercriminals. Passkeys offer a game-changing solution. They deliver a faster, more secure sign-in experience by enabling authentication through facial recognition, fingerprint, or PIN. Unlike traditional passwords, passkeys aren’t vulnerable to common attacks. They also eliminate the hassle of forgotten passwords and one-time codes and reduce support calls. Our approach? Start small, experiment, then scale—and the results speak for themselves: ✅ Signing in with a passkey is 3x faster than using a traditional password ✅ Users are 3x more successful signing in with passkeys ✅ 99% of users who start the passkey registration flow complete it As more organizations embrace passkey technology, it’s becoming the new standard for secure sign-ins. This shift not only safeguards digital identities but also paves the way for a seamless, passwordless future for everyone. Learn more about how Microsoft is driving passkey adoption and transforming secure sign-ins in this blog. #Passkeys #Cybersecurity #DigitalIdentity #FutureOfTech

🔐 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🌐 Passkeys are a cutting-edge authentication technology designed to replace traditional passwords with a more secure solution that is both simple and efficient for users. Built on public-key cryptography, they eliminate the risks of password breaches, phishing, and weak credentials by ensuring that authentication happens without transmitting or storing sensitive information. Let's see how they work 👇 ___ 1️⃣ 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 • The user opts to log in with a passkey instead of a password. • The passkey is stored securely on their device (e.g., phone or computer) and linked to biometric data (like Face ID or fingerprint), PINs, or device authentication.   • Authentication requires no manual entry, making it seamless, fast, and intuitive. 2️⃣ 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 • 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 --> A passkey is essentially a pair of cryptographic keys (public and private). The private key never leaves the user’s device. • 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 --> The public key is shared with the service (e.g., a website or app) during account creation. • 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 --> When logging in, the service sends a challenge to the device. The private key signs the challenge, and the signed response is verified using the public key. • 𝗙𝗜𝗗𝗢𝟮/𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘀 --> These ensure interoperability across devices and browsers, enhancing scalability and adoption. 💡𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘀 • 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 --> No passwords to hack, phish, or leak—significantly reducing the attack surface. • 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 --> No need to remember complex passwords or go through tedious reset processes. • 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 --> Passkeys authenticate directly with the service, eliminating the risks associated with fake login pages. • 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 --> With increasing support from browsers, apps, and platforms, users can access passkeys seamlessly across devices. 📡 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘆𝘀 With the rapid rise of digital services, passkeys represent a transformative shift in how we approach authentication. As more businesses adopt them, we can expect to see increased cross-platform adoption, integration with IoT (smart devices, homes, etc), and enhanced enterprise applications. What did I miss?  ___ Sources: FIDO Alliance, Microsoft 🔔 Follow Jason Heister for daily #Fintech and #Payments guides, technical breakdowns, and industry insights.

Explaining security to your kids and getting their full attention rarely happens, but it happened today. It made my day; I don't know about you, but it means a lot when your teenager appreciates what you do. This morning, we discussed how passwordless authentication improves the consumer's experience and elevates the provider's security posture. I used an imaginary Boutique shop named "#TikTok Boutique." The passwordless login isn’t just a feature—it is a story of innovation, trust, and a commitment to a seamless, secure customer journey. On a bright Saturday morning, Fiona, a loyal customer who loved the convenience and style of #TikTok Boutique, started her online shopping spree journey. As she scrolled for new items, she found the friction figure she had been looking for for a while; she clicked to add the item, and her smartphone buzzed with a notification from the store’s app. Fiona had signed up for the boutique’s loyalty program months ago, and today, she was about to experience the new passwordless login feature. Rather than digging through her purse for a forgotten password, Fiona tapped on the push notification. The app then prompted her to verify her identity using the biometric scanner on her phone. With a glance, the facial recognition feature confirmed it was indeed Fiona. In that moment, the store’s system leveraged advanced FIDO2 and WebAuthn protocols—secure technologies that replaced traditional passwords with cryptographic keys and biometric data, ensuring that her account remained safe and inaccessible to others. Within seconds, a magic link appeared on her screen. Fiona clicked the link, and her account seamlessly logged her in. This frictionless process impressed her and reassured her that her sensitive data was handled securely without the hassle and vulnerabilities of traditional passwords. She looked and asked, "Dad, why don't all the online stores enable this feature? It's not only me; most if not all of my friends reuse the same password because it's hard to remember. You know how many sites we go online for shopping or to order food." I respond that we need smart kids like yourself to join the #cybersecurity team and help drive a futuristic, frictionless digital experience. We need to get away from the traditional password; it's not safe and prune to be exploited by intruders. #identityfirst #passwordless