The future of authentication: Why passwordless is the way forward

By now, most CISOs agree: passwords are the weakest link in the authentication chain. They’re easy to guess, hard to manage, and constantly reused. Even the most complex password policies don’t stop phishing or credential stuffing. That’s why passwordless authentication is gaining serious ground.

Adopting passwordless authentication comes with challenges, including resistance to change, integration with legacy systems, and initial costs. Organizations may also have concerns about security, user experience, accessibility, compliance, and data privacy.

To overcome these, companies should invest in education, gradually integrate new solutions, focus on long-term ROI, ensure compliance with industry standards, and offer multiple authentication options for users.

A recent report from the FIDO Alliance reveals that 87% of companies are either deploying or planning to deploy passkeys to enhance security and improve user experience.

Passwordless means different things depending on who’s saying it. So what does it actually look like? And what do security leaders need to do to prepare?

Why passwordless is taking off

According to Yubico, despite the availability of more secure alternatives, username and password combinations remain the most prevalent authentication method. Meanwhile, phishing attacks with the help of AI tools are becoming more advanced.

Attackers don’t just steal passwords—they hijack sessions, bypass MFA, and exploit poor device hygiene.

True passwordless authentication means no knowledge-based secrets—no passwords, security questions, or PINs that a user must remember. But some systems labeled as passwordless still rely on passwords as a fallback.

This creates confusion in the market. Some vendors promote passwordless MFA that still allows for password entry under certain conditions. That’s not truly passwordless—it’s just layered security with a more convenient first step.

Security leaders should ask vendors to define their implementation clearly. A real passwordless system should:

• Use public-key cryptography to verify user identity
• Bind credentials to a specific device or authenticator
• Not allow passwords as a backup, unless heavily restricted

The FIDO2 standard (from the FIDO Alliance and W3C) is the current gold standard. It enables authentication using passkeys and biometric tokens without a central shared secret.

Tech giants are already making moves. Apple, Google, and Microsoft have rolled out passkey support across devices and browsers.

“A passwordless strategy offers the best relief for reducing password fatigue. The challenges presented by passwords – including poor account security and user experience, lost productivity and increased cost – are eliminated when companies go passwordless,” noted Charlotte Wylie, SVP and Deputy CSO at Okta.

Strategy tips for CISOs going passwordless

As the cybersecurity landscape shifts toward more secure, user-friendly authentication methods, CISOs must approach this transition carefully. Here are five tips to move in the right direction:

Audit your current authentication stack: Identify where passwords are still used: internal apps, third-party SaaS, legacy systems. Once done, prioritize high-risk or high-friction use cases.

Start with high-impact user groups: Pilot passwordless options with executives, developers, and admins who have access to sensitive systems. Use strong authenticators like YubiKeys or passkeys.

Leverage identity providers that support FIDO2: Ensure your identity provider (Okta, Azure AD, Ping, etc.) supports modern passwordless protocols and can integrate with your existing directory and apps.

Educate and train users: Passwordless only works if users trust the system. Explain the benefits, provide self-enrollment guides, and offer alternatives for accessibility or device issues.

Don’t abandon fallback security: Build recovery flows using phishing-resistant methods like secondary device authentication or identity verification. Avoid reintroducing passwords as backup.

Looking ahead

Once an organization adopts passwordless authentication, tracking system performance becomes essential to gauge its success. For CISOs, measuring ROI and the impact on security is key to proving the solution’s value. It’s important to monitor the system’s effectiveness and ensure it’s successfully reducing risk.

CISOs should focus on key metrics like user adoption rates, phishing attempts blocked, and the overall reduction in security incidents. Over time, they may see fewer phishing attempts getting through, a reduction in credential theft, and even lower IT support costs related to password resets.

Moving forward, passwordless authentication will become the norm across industries. As this technology progress, businesses should adopt it early to reduce risks, lower IT support costs, and stay ahead of regulatory changes.

AI and machine learning will enhance passwordless authentication by tracking user behavior and spotting unusual patterns. These tools help strengthen security while keeping the login process simple, adjusting requirements based on potential risks.

“First and foremost, the future is passwordless. While many companies may not be ready to make the switch to passwordless today (and many aren’t for a variety of reasons), in the next ten to twenty years I’m confident we’ll see a move to passwordless across industries and use cases, simply because they are so much safer and user-friendly,” said Julianna Lamb, CTO of Stytch.