New Passkey Protocols Prioritize Secure Data Exchange Between Platforms, Aiming to Phase Out Traditional Passwords

It would not be wrong to mention that passwords are no longer considered a safe form of authentication. Instead, passkeys have taken over and are now trying to kill the old concept of passwords.

However, passkeys come with a major drawback that has been debated in recent times. This is why the Tech Alliance is working towards overcoming that drawback and ensuring reliable transfer of passkeys from one platform to the next.

The FIDO Alliance which features all leading tech giants mentioned how the industry is making way to move passkeys across different providers. They also shared specifications in draft form for the latest protocol and the format to exchange data.

The Alliance confirmed that safe credential data exchange is a leading priority because it enhances user experience. So far, there’s been no other means for this kind of data exchange between vendors. However, with the recent efforts, it could soon become a reality.

The Alliance adds that users can design passkeys through software taken from tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Google. This is in addition to the usual password managers. Similarly, users can share and sync various keys throughout platforms. For now, passkeys are restricted to every firm’s software ecosystem forcing users to develop duplicate keys for single logins.

To address matters like this, passkeys on a single device are used for unlocking access on others using QR Codes. But to help restrict technical barriers, the goal right now seems to be related to making interoperability a reality. Users can use the platform they want to manage their credentials. In the same way, they can switch from one provider to the next without any sort of burden.

For now, draft specifications are focusing more on imports and exports of these passkeys and their encryption. They will be compared with how well they fare against the usual password exchange from one app to the next. The biggest concern here is security and stopping hackers from abuse and theft.

It’s going to take a while for the alliance to confirm the specifications so that they can be adopted commercially. But once that is done, it’s going to be available for users. What they can benefit from is a safe and easy means to change providers, if required.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World