Strong authentication without the password burden

Passwords create friction for people signing in and introduce reusable credentials that can be stolen, forgotten or reset. Passwordless authentication replaces the password with an authenticator registered to the user’s device.

Nevis Authentication Cloud supports passwordless authentication, multi-factor authentication and FIDO2/WebAuthn capabilities without requiring a full IAM transformation. It is designed to provide secure login for web and mobile applications while supporting a controlled path towards stronger authentication.

With passwordless authentication, users can verify themselves using a compatible device authenticator, such as biometric verification on their own device. The biometric data is used locally by the device; it is not a password sent to the online service.

How FIDO-based passwordless authentication works

FIDO protocols use public-key cryptography rather than a shared password.

1. Register an authenticator
   When a user registers for a service, their device creates a cryptographic key pair.
2. Keep the private key on the device
   The private key remains on the user’s device. The online service receives the corresponding public key.
3. Sign in with the registered authenticator
   When the user accesses the service, it sends a challenge to the registered authenticator.
4. Verify the signed response
   The device signs the challenge with the private key. The service verifies the signature using the public key to confirm the user’s identity.

This approach removes the need to remember and enter a password during the login process.