Last year, Apple introduced passkey support with iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. The technology was created by the FIDO Alliance in collaboration with Apple, Google and Microsoft and aims to replace traditional passwords with new, more secure passwordless login methods. Now access key support also comes to NordPass password manager.
NordPass now works with access keys
NordPass, the password manager created by the same company that powers the popular NordVPN, announced Thursday that its app now supports passkeys. Starting today, NordPass users can save and manage their access keys to use them on compatible websites and apps.
“With Microsoft, Apple and Google leading the passkey vision, and various websites starting to use passkeys only for online authentication, the new release from NordPass will help Internet users easily adapt to this market change without compromising security and convenience, ” said the company. in a statement.
Access key support for NordPass was first teased back in January and is now available to both private and business customers. This allows users to access their access keys across the various devices and platforms that NordPass is available on, including iOS, macOS, Windows, Android and Linux.
To make the process of using access keys even more seamless, NordPass also offers access key integration for its Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome extensions. According to the company, support for Apple’s Safari is coming later this year.
What exactly is an access key?
Access keys rely on biometrics combined with public key encryption to authenticate you, and at no point is a password involved. After all, passwords are an increasingly terrible approach to security. They make users prone to phishing attacks, having their data exposed in data breaches, and more.
The digital key created in this process is completely end-to-end encrypted and is never stored on a web server; each access key you create is unique to that app, website or service. Using the combination of biometrics and the cryptographic key is how the access key process completely removes passwords.
On iOS and macOS, passkeys are stored in iCloud Keychain by default and can be accessed via Face ID or Touch ID authentication. In addition to NordPass, 1Password has also announced that it has worked on supporting access keys.
You can find more details about NordPass on the platform’s website.
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