Research Findings: Consumers are ready to embrace new authentication methods

It’s been a year since Apple, Google and Microsoft announced their commitment to passkeys with plans to expand support for a common passwordless sign-in standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. Early adopters have enabled passkeys for user sign-ins – where do consumers stand on passkeys today?

 

And what do habits, trends and adoption of authentication technologies reveal about consumer readiness for passwordless technologies?

 

Executive Summary

  • Passwords are still the most commonly used sign in method – but biometrics are preferred by consumers.
  • Consumer readiness for passkeys is up nearly 20 points since Fall 2022. Last October, FIDO Alliance’s Online Authentication Barometer found that 39% of people were familiar with the concept of passkeys; today, more than 57% of U.S. consumers said they are interested in using passkeys to sign into their accounts.
  • While U.S. consumers largely remain unalarmed by the risks passwords pose to their digital lives, new data shows the shift away from passwords may largely be driven by user experience rather than potential security breaches.
  • Consumers do not want to pay for security features like two-factor authentication (2FA) or for identity verification on popular social media platforms.