What Is A Passkey Authenticator? Only The Key To Our Passwordless Tomorrow
ZDNET, Friday, November 14th, 2025
Your passkey future requires an authenticator, but which type is best - platform, virtual, or roaming? We help make sense of your options.
ZDNET's key takeaways:
- Passkeys are on a course to replace most passwords.
- Using passkeys involves a delicate balance of multiple technologies.
- The "authenticator" is one of those, and it comes in multiple types.
In ZDNET's six-part series on how passkeys work and why the passwordless technology produces a significantly more secure login credential than typical usernames and passwords, I spilled a good deal of digital ink on the special role played by the authenticator.