Skip to main content
Image
purple hex pattern
Image
Person scanning their fingerprint on a phone

Why passwordless

It's no secret that passwords have historically been one of the largest causes of cyberattacks. Weak passwords are easily compromised through attacks like brute force, social engineering, password spray, and more. Strong passwords increase complexity by being long and random, but that leads to them being forgotten by users – and still leaving them susceptible to attacks such as phishing. 

Adopting high assurance passwordless authentication that includes proximity detection and certificate-based authentication will eliminate security threats from remote-based account takeover (ATO) attacks and improve the overall user experience.

PKI-based mobile smart credentials

Ensure security without compromising the user experience, with PKI mobile smart credential-based passwordless access that uses Bluetooth® proximity detection in the authentication process. Transform your users’ mobile devices into trusted digital identities with the installation of certificates that let them securely log in passwordlessly to their desktops and laptops using biometrics such as Face ID or Touch ID.

mobile phone passkey codes illustration
  1. A digital certificate is installed on the user’s mobile device, converting it into a trusted device.
  2. User unlocks their device and accesses their trusted identity using a biometric such as fingerprint or facial recognition.
  3. Once user is authenticated, Bluetooth connectivity to a Mac or PC delivers passwordless login and single sign-on (SSO) to all cloud and on-premises apps while in close proximity.
  4. When user walks away from their workstation with their mobile device, they’re automatically logged out of the workstation and their apps. (The proximity settings to trigger an automatic logout are customizable.)

Add support to FIDO2 with WebAuthn

WebAuthn, a core component of the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance’s FIDO2 specifications, is a web-based API that adds FIDO-based authentication support to web applications on supported browsers and platforms.

It provides a higher level of security through the use of cryptographic keys that are unique across every app, with the private key stored on the user’s device and not on a server. Users can use external authenticators such as a security key or mobile phone to log in to applications through their web browsers.

Image
Person holding a secure phone and using a laptop

Enable passkeys with ease

Passkeys are cryptographic key pairs used to authenticate users into various applications. A public key is stored on the application server and a private key is stored on the user’s device. Passkeys use Bluetooth to communicate between the user’s phone (FIDO authenticator) and the device from which the user is trying to authenticate. Bluetooth requires physical proximity, providing a phishing-resistant way to leverage the user’s phone during authentication.

Passkeys illustration
  1. User initiates login. 
  2. Application issues security challenge to registered smart device in proximity (confirmed via Bluetooth).
  3. User uses biometrics to authenticate passkey. Passkey on mobile is used to sign and send back challenge. 
  4. Application verifies signed challenge using the corresponding public key stored on the server and proximity of passkey device to log in user.

Securing Your Largest Attack Vector: Identity

Learn more about common identity-based cyberattacks and how to protect your organization against them.

Image
Woman holding a phone with multi-factor authentication and using a laptop

Passwordless multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Going passwordless doesn’t mean you need multiple authenticators for multi-factor authentication. Using a mobile-based FIDO2 key or mobile smart credential combines multiple factors such as possession (smart phone) and inherence (biometrics with Face ID/Touch ID).

Single sign-on (SSO)

With our SSO offering, your users can access all applications after authenticating once, instead of re-authenticating for every unique cloud, on-prem, and legacy application they need to access.

Image
Man using a phone and laptop

Flexibility for every use case

With multiple passwordless options that include high assurance authentication – including PKI-based mobile smart credentials, biometrics, FIDO2 keys and passkeys, secure mobile push with mutual authentication, soft token time-based one-time passwords, and more – you can enable a user-friendly experience and tailor the type of passwordless authenticator used based on your use case.

mobile phone passkey codes illustration

Benefits of passwordless login

Image
mobile locked icon

Focused Security Expertise

Entrust is a leader in digital security with 25+ years of experience in the industry. We have been first-to-market with many solutions, including passwordless user authentication.

Image
piggy bank icon

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

Our passwordless authentication capabilities work with the environment you have. You’ll save on the costs of resets, administration, and support.

Image
purple and gray clouds icon

Flexible Deployment Options

With Entrust, you decide if you want a cloud-based or on-prem solution for high-assurance credential-based passwordless authentication.

Welcome to a passwordless world

Identity Portfolio

IAM

Identity as a Service


Cloud-based IAM solution with multi-factor authentication (MFA), passwordless access, and SSO.
IAM

Identity Enterprise


Identity Enterprise multi-factor authentication establishes and maintains trusted identity for all users, providing strong digital security for your enterprise.
IAM

Identity Essentials


Use Identity Essentials to keep your systems and data safe with multi-factor authentication and more.

Our identity portfolio capabilities:

Authenticate

Streamline the onboarding of diverse users and devices with a wide range of technologies.

Authorize

Ensure both strong security and exceptional user experiences with these best-in-class technologies.

Transact and Manage

Continuously protect against advanced threats with technology from behavior analytics to fraud detection.

The identity portfolio suited to your authentication needs

Get Entrust Identity as a Service Free for 60 Days

Explore the Identity as a Service platform that give you access to best-in-class MFA, SSO, adaptive risk-based authentication, and much more.