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Everything about Passkey

Passwordless authentication credential key

A passkey, also known as security key, is a pair of cryptographic keys that is generated by a user's authenticator linked to an account to authenticate a user's identity against a remote application or system by using public-key cryptography, thus avoiding the need to reveal the secret key held by the user through public channels. The current popular implementation of passkeys for general public usage in web technologies is proposed by FIDO Alliance and standardised by the World Wide Web Consortium under the WebAuthn standard, and “passkey” is the de-facto non-technical term used to refer to WebAuthn credentials. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: PasskeyA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: HiPass: Hijacking CTAP in Passkey AuthenticationInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: New Proficiency PasskeyThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: Igf2-H19, an imprinted tandem gene, is an important regulator of embryonic development, a guardian of proliferation of adult pluripotent stem cells, a regulator of longevity, and a ‘passkey’ to cancerogenesisCited 80 times
  5. Go sideways: WebAuthnA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Universal 2nd FactorA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun A key, especially in a hotel, that allows someone in authority to open any door.

Noun A key for entering a house or other building.

Noun A cryptographic key that is tied to specific devices or cloud accounts and is meant to be used instead of a password.

Noun Synonym of password.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Technical
  2. Implementations
  3. Benefits
  4. In the media

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics