You may have heard the term “passwordless authentication” or seen it in the news recently. Passwordless authentication means that users will be able to log in to a website without entering a password, with their smartphones or laptops acting as authenticators. In the coming weeks, smartphones and laptops will receive a system update that will make passwordless authentication a reality.
This more secure, phishing-resistant authentication method has been discussed for years, but adoption has been slow because of technical burdens on the user, limited adoption by websites, and limited interoperability of solutions across platforms (browsers, operating systems, and devices). However, recent industry announcements from the FIDO (“Fast IDentity Online”) Alliance and larger platform players like Apple, Microsoft, and Google bring hope that adoption may soon begin to ramp up.
Today, Dashlane is introducing integrated passkey support in our security-first password manager and unveiling the first in-browser passkey solution. Offering passkey support in our password manager is the natural evolution of our offerings, tied to our mission of making security simple for millions of organizations and their people. Today’s biggest security issue stems from stolen logins—over 80% of breaches occur as a result. Dashlane Password Manager already addresses this problem, and launching a passwordless authentication solution will be another powerful part of addressing this problem in the future.
The Dashlane passkey solution is currently in tech preview and will be available to Dashlane users in the coming weeks.
No, not anytime soon. Passwordless authentication is a promising development, but because of the ubiquity of passwords across every type of website and application, there will likely be a long transition period, and passwords may never fully disappear. Any complete authentication solution must incorporate support for both passwords and passkeys.
By introducing passkey support, Dashlane Password Manager will have a complete solution for users, no matter the type of login. They’ll be able to manage their logins, whether passkeys or passwords, as they do today—with secure sharing capabilities, access controls for businesses, multi-device sync, and multi-platform interoperability.
You’ll hear a lot about passwordless authentication over the next few months. After years of groundwork and research by members of the FIDO Alliance, we’re one giant step closer to logging in without a password. We’re excited to usher in the passwordless future and continue providing our users with best-in-class security and award-winning UX with our all-encompassing Dashlane solution.