Today, password management leaders Keeper Security have announced support for passkey management on iOS and Android mobile devices. With Keeper, passkeys are created, stored and managed in the Keeper Vault, and can be used to log in to websites and applications across all browsers and operating systems with ease. As long as you have access to a Keeper Vault, you have access to your passkeys, whether on desktop or your mobile device.
A passkey is a cryptographic key that lets users log in to accounts and apps without entering a password – similar to a digital version of a keycard that’s stored on a phone, tablet or computer. The passkey leverages biometrics on your device, such as your fingerprint or face recognition, which makes it possible for you to log in to supported apps and accounts the same way you unlock your phone or tablet with your fingerprint or face.
Passkeys are both easier to use than many traditional methods of authentication, as well as phishing-resistant, making it possible for users to log in to supported websites seamlessly and more securely. The passwordless technology, first introduced in 2022, is built on industry standards from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and FIDO Alliance, and is backed by Apple, Google, Microsoft, Paypal, eBay and more.
“Keeper is leading the way toward a secure, passwordless future by further expanding our support for passkeys,” said Craig Lurey, CTO and Co-founder of Keeper Security. “As this exciting new authentication method grows in popularity, we understand that users need a platform that provides secure management of multiple login methods– including both passkeys and traditional passwords. In this hybrid world, Keeper provides a seamless experience across operating systems and devices.”
In June 2023, Keeper announced support for passkeys in its browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Safari, with mobile support rolling out for iOS and Android devices in the coming weeks. Keeper saves and auto-fills the passkey, much like a password-based login. The Keeper Vault provides management of the passkeys, including the ability to securely share them between family members and business teams.
Major browsers and platforms have started to incorporate passkey support into their operating systems, leaving website and application developers responsible for building passkey support into their sign-in flows. Because passkeys only work on websites and platforms that support them, Keeper has created a Passkey Directory to provide users with a current list of where they can be used.
To create and save a passkey, users will visit the “Security” or “Account Settings” screen of the passkey-supported website. When clicking “Create a Passkey,” the user will be asked if they’d like to save the passkey to their Keeper Vault. This video demonstration shows how simple it is to do. The next time the user visits that website, they can use the passkey securely saved in their Keeper Vault and protected with zero-knowledge encryption, to log in from any device. This is a key benefit, because otherwise, passkeys can only be used with the device on which they are created. The passkey record in the user’s Keeper Vault contains the date the passkey was created, username and website or app on which it was created. Passkey records can be managed in the vault like any other record, including being placed in folders or shared with other users.
Earlier this year, the IT Security Guru spoke to experts about the past, present and future of passwords. Read what they had to say here.