From the course: CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Cert Prep

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Passwordless authentication

Passwordless authentication

From the course: CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Cert Prep

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Passwordless authentication

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- [Instructor] People really dislike passwords because they're clunky and inconvenient. At the same time, concerns over security breaches and phishing attacks push us toward using stronger authentication methods. Passwordless authentication gives us the best of both worlds: strong authentication that's convenient for end users. Passwordless authentication uses alternatives to traditional passwords to verify a user's identity. They use techniques like biometric authentication and smartphone apps. However, one of the most interesting emerging options is the use of security keys. A security key is a physical device, often resembling a USB flash drive, that a user can plug into their computer or connect wirelessly. Now, I'm going to describe to you how security keys work, but first, I need to explain some terminology that is a little bit confusing. I'm going to use the word key in two different ways with two different meanings. Now, these are the actual terms, so there's no way to avoid…

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