Cybersecurity Glossary
Passkey
A sign in method that replaces the password with a key stored on your device.
What Passkey means
A passkey keeps a private key on your phone or laptop, unlocked by your fingerprint, face or device PIN. Nothing reusable is ever sent to the website, so there is no password to steal, to guess or to phish. The key is also tied to the real site address, which makes lookalike login pages useless.
Why Passkey matters for small businesses and nonprofits
Passkeys remove the two problems that cause most account compromises: reuse and phishing. Support is now broad across Microsoft, Google, Apple and many business applications, so adoption no longer requires waiting.
What to do about Passkey
- Enable passkeys wherever your platforms already support them
- Register at least two devices per person so a lost phone is not a lockout
- Keep a documented recovery route before you switch anyone over
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