The End of Passwords?
Since the 1960s, passwords have protected digital accounts – usually poorly, almost always annoyingly. Now there is a serious successor: Passkeys. They work fundamentally differently and solve the biggest security problems of passwords.
How Passkeys Work
Passkeys are based on cryptographic key pairs. Your device creates a private key that is never transmitted, and a public key stored with the service. When logging in, your device signs a challenge with the private key, unlocked by fingerprint, face or PIN.
Why Passkeys Are More Secure
Phishing-resistant: Since no password is entered, criminals cannot intercept anything. No data breaches: Only the public key is stored – worthless without the private one. No password recycling: Each service has its own key.
Where You Can Use Passkeys Today
Apple, Google, Microsoft, GitHub, PayPal and many more already support passkeys. The BSI actively recommends switching.