One morning, you wake up and realize that your business has grown to the point where you can no longer afford to get into that old, worn-out diesel subcompact. Instead, you schedule a test drive of a brand-new electric vehicle. The business transitioning from password-based security to passkey technology experiences a similarly transformative feeling. Now, let's dive into the details and break it down thoroughly!
Passwords have powered digital authentication for decades — much like an old diesel subcompact that somehow keeps starting every morning. But the engine is coughing. The doors don't lock properly. Anyone who knows the trick can jiggle the handle and get in.
Research shows that 49% of security incidents involve compromised passwords, according to Verizon's 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, while 84% of users admit to reusing the same password across multiple accounts — creating a cascade of vulnerabilities. These are not minor inconveniences — they are warning lights flashing on the dashboard, signaling systemic risk.
Passwordless authentication, particularly through passkeys, is like upgrading to a high-tech bullet car: faster, sleeker, and nearly impossible to derail. The ride is smoother, quieter, and significantly harder to hijack.
For organizations under ISO/IEC 27001, switching from passwords to passkeys is less like a casual upgrade and more like overhauling an entire airline fleet to meet stringent new safety standards. It requires ensuring that the new drivetrain aligns with established controls, risk treatment plans, and documentation obligations.
This article examines how organizations can transition to passkeys while maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 compliance — covering the technical foundations and offering practical guidance for IT professionals navigating this modernization journey.
How passwordless authentication works: Technical foundations
Passwordless authentication eliminates the cognitive burden of remembering passwords. Authentication relies on cryptographic keys, biometrics, or possession-based factors — what you have or what you are.
Passkeys represent the most mature implementation of this approach. Passkeys, built on FIDO2 and WebAuthn standards, are like the latest GPS technology — they guide you securely to your destination without the risk of getting lost or taking a wrong turn.
When you create a passkey, your device generates a cryptographic key pair: a private key that stays locked on your device, and a public key that's registered with the service. During authentication, the service sends a challenge, your device signs it with the private key, and the service verifies the signature. Because the private key never leaves your device, attackers have nothing to intercept or phish.
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