What Are Passkeys? The Next Evolution in Backup Security

ByW. Curtis Preston
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If you’re still protecting your backup system with just usernames and passwords, you’re practically begging for trouble. Bad actors know exactly what they’re doing – they target backup systems first, and a simple password won’t stop them. Let’s talk about what passkeys are and why they represent a massive upgrade in security.

passkey

This blog post summarizes the main points of my latest podcast episode. If you’d like, you can listen to it or watch it at https://www.backupwrapup.com/

What Are Passkeys

Here’s the deal: passkeys fall under the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) framework, and they’re changing the game. Unlike traditional passwords that can be phished or stolen, passkeys use public key encryption and biometric verification. The real kicker? There hasn’t been a single successful attack against a FIDO-compliant system.

What Are Passkeys Replacing?

Let’s break down the evolution of authentication:

  1. Basic passwords (worst)
  2. Multi-factor authentication (better)
    • Email verification (least secure)
    • SMS verification (vulnerable to SIM swapping)
    • One-time password generators (most secure MFA option)
  3. Passkeys (best)

What Are Passkeys’ Implementation Options?

You’ve got several ways to implement passkeys:

  • Phone-based systems using secure enclaves
  • Hardware keys like YubiKey (always buy two!)
  • Platform implementations from Apple, Google, and Microsoft

The best part? Hardware options like YubiKey are surprisingly affordable – their top model runs about $55. That’s a small price to pay for protecting your last line of defense.

What Are Passkeys’ Advantages?

The biggest advantage is security, hands down. But there’s more:

  • No passwords to remember
  • Can’t be phished
  • Uses biometric verification you already have
  • Works across multiple platforms
  • More convenient than traditional MFA

Here’s my straightforward advice: if your backup system doesn’t require either MFA or passkeys to log in, fix that immediately. And start pushing your backup vendors to support passkey authentication. Don’t wait until after you’ve been hit with ransomware to upgrade your security.

Written by W. Curtis Preston (@wcpreston), four-time O'Reilly author, and host of The Backup Wrap-up podcast. I am now the Technology Evangelist at S2|DATA, which helps companies manage their legacy data

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