The passwordless login landscape has exploded in recent years, expanding beyond straightforward authorization flows to incorporate an impressive range of new tools and techniques. Big companies have released their own proprietary authorization flows, such as Google Auth or Amazon Cognito. Biometric solutions have multiplied. Demo logins delivered via solutions like passkeys reduce the need for users who are merely auditioning software to create a new account, putting less strain on your servers while making the process less burdensome for the user. Multi-tiered solutions like 2FA or MFA have grown particularly popular, offering impressive security that is still convenient.

Passwordless logins are catching on for good reason. They make your APIs more secure, easier to use, and even more cost-effective. They’re also going to keep getting more prevalent, considering that 56% of internet users are excited about passwordless logins. With these factors in mind, here are some ways that passwordless logins improve API security.

Reduces Risk of Leaked Credentials

One of the troubles with passwords is they can be lost, stolen, or accidentally shared. While best practices for proper password maintenance have existed for decades, they’re still routinely ignored. Far too many users metaphorically leave their password on a Post-It note on their monitor, just waiting for someone to find the keys to the kingdom. Passwordless logins remove this risk, connecting an authorization flow to a particular user’s identity.

Reduces User Error

Improperly stored passwords is just one cybersecurity risk of using passwords. As often as IT professionals emphasize the need for proper password maintenance, people are fallible. 32% of internet users use the same password for five to ten websites. If an attacker should get a hold of a password from another site, that also happens to be the password they use for your API, you run into the same problems as a lost or stolen password.

Improves Ability to Track Unauthorized Access

Another of the problems caused by passwords is that anyone who has them is an authorized user. It’s tough for security solutions to monitor for improper password use. It’s even harder to put guardrails in place without inconveniencing your users and customers. You might put a geographic restriction in place, for example, to try and prevent unauthorized users from accessing the network from unexpected parts of the world. A traveling developer might end up setting off that alarm while they’re on the road, though, which runs the risk of alienating your customers, at best, or causing a major incident by denying a login when the developer is trying to deal with a situation.

Password Logins are Resistant to AI

The rapid development of AI and machine learning poses a unique challenge for cybersecurity professionals. It’s quickly getting to a point where sophisticated AI can be used in cyberattacks in different ways, many of which are difficult to trace. For example, AI might be used to emulate an official document as part of a phishing scam. This poses the same security risk as a lost or stolen password, as authorized passwords don’t trigger any alerts. This is clearly a pressing cybersecurity issue that needs to be addressed, as 52% of IT leaders report having to deal with frequently stolen passwords. AI can even be used to crack passwords using brute force.

Biometric Data Is More Secure

The proliferation of passwordless logins has caused a wide range of new cybersecurity solutions, each of which is more secure than using passwords. Passwordless logins are generally handled by CIAM solutions, which offer numerous clever ways to connect a user’s identity and authentication flows. Biometric data is a popular passwordless solution, allowing users to use fingerprints or retina scans as credentials. Not only is biometric data more secure, as it’s much more difficult to steal or fake, but it’s also fast, easy to use, and convenient for the end user. It’s a good example of how smoothly CIAM can integrate with a passwordless architecture when everything is set up properly.

Passwordless Logins Can Be Connected To A Device

Another common CIAM solution useful for passwordless logins is connecting a user’s identity to specific devices. It’s a cornerstone of decentralized identity management, with users signing into an account from many different devices. Passwordless solutions like passkeys allow a network to recognize a particular device, like a smartphone or tablet, using identifiers stored locally on the device. This new cybersecurity solution is even more secure than physical servers, as gaining unauthorized access to a password could still grant access. It’s much more challenging to steal someone’s phone or mobile device than it is to find a password. It’s also far more likely to get noticed earlier!

Passwordless Logins Allow Better Allocation Of Resources

Organizations spend considerable time fielding password-related requests. According to a recent study by Forrester, American organizations allocate over $1 million each year for password-related resources. Add in how much time your IT team spends trying to monitor for data breaches caused by improper password protocols or resetting passwords for clients, and you’ve got a fairly hefty investment in both time and money maintaining your password-related infrastructure. Now, imagine you’re free to invest those resources elsewhere, like auditing your APIs for insecure endpoints or updating your API catalog.

Final Thoughts on Passwordless Logins

While passwords will likely always have a place in the cybersecurity landscape, the need for passwordless credentials will only become more pronounced as the years progress. According to a recent survey conducted by NordPass, users now manage an average of 168 passwords. That’s a 70% increase in a little over three years, largely spurred by the rapid digitization of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It stands to reason that password fatigue is going to set in at a certain point. The proliferation of passwords is responsible for all manner of cybersecurity concerns, as can be seen from the fact that 30% of organizations report experiencing a data breach due to a weak password. Since passwordless logins make tools more secure and easier to use, there’s good reason to explore this emerging cybersecurity trend.