Passkeys

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planted: 02/04/2024last tended: 02/04/2024

Just looking into passkeys to figure out whether I should be using them.

A passkey is a way to log in to apps and websites without using a username and password combination. It's a pair of cryptography keys generated by your device. A public key and a private key combine to create a passkey that unlocks your account. Apps or websites store your unique public key. Your private key is only stored on your device, and after your device authenticates your identity, the two keys combine to grant you access to your account.

Passkeys: What They Are and Why You Need Them ASAP

Summary of the above:

  • a way to log in to apps and websites
  • without using a username and password combination
  • a pair of cryptography keys
  • generated by your device
  • A public key and a private key combine to create a passkey
  • that unlocks your account
  • Apps or websites store your unique public key
  • Your private key is only stored on your device
  • after your device authenticates your identity, the two keys combine to grant you access to your account

OK, so it's device-based. At first blush it sounds quite similar to SSH keys.

But - I believe you can use your password manager as a proxy for your device.

Does keepassxc work with passkeys? <- yep, looks like it, as of March 2024, that's good timing.

I'm intrigued as to who is behind passkeys. Always worth checking who is pushing it and why.

A big proponent seems to be the FIDO Alliance.

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