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12/06/2026 10:21 pm
TL;DR: Passwordless authentication replaces passwords with factors such as one-time codes, biometrics, or FIDO tokens, improving usability and reducing password reset burden while fitting well with zero trust and SSO, according to Axiad. The governance challenge is that authentication strength improves only if organisations also manage device, recovery, and session trust coherently.
NHIMG editorial — based on content published by Axiad: What Is Passwordless Authentication and How Does It Work?
Questions worth separating out
Q: How should security teams roll out passwordless authentication without weakening recovery controls?
A: Start by testing the weakest path into the account, not the strongest.
Q: When does passwordless authentication create more risk than it removes?
A: It creates more risk when organisations remove passwords but leave weak enrolment, recovery, or device trust in place.
Q: What do IAM teams get wrong about passwordless and SSO together?
A: They often assume a better login experience automatically means better governance.
Practitioner guidance
- Map the recovery path first Document every account recovery route used by passwordless users, including email, mobile, help desk, and device re-enrolment steps.
- Bind passwordless to device assurance Require a clear device trust signal before granting passwordless access, especially where users authenticate from unmanaged endpoints.
- Review SSO blast radius Assess which applications inherit access from a single passwordless SSO event and whether that grant is still appropriate for sensitive systems.
What's in the full article
Axiad's full blog covers the operational detail this post intentionally leaves for the source:
- Step-by-step examples of one-time code, biometric, and FIDO token implementations
- A practical explanation of how the Unified Credential Service supports login control
- The article's own comparison of passwordless authentication and MFA in user-facing terms
- The vendor's implementation framing for organisations moving off password-based login
👉 Read Axiad's explainer on passwordless authentication and zero trust →
Passwordless authentication: is your IAM model ready for trust shifts?
Explore further
13/06/2026 1:03 am
Passwordless authentication improves human login security, but it does not erase identity governance risk. The password is only one part of the access chain. Once authentication moves to device possession, biometrics, or recovery channels, the organisation inherits new trust points that must be governed as carefully as passwords were.
A few things that frame the scale:
- 96% of organisations store secrets outside of secrets managers in vulnerable locations including code, config files, and CI/CD tools, according to Ultimate Guide to NHIs.
- Only 5.7% of organisations have full visibility into their service accounts, which shows how often identity programmes still lack basic inventory control.
A question worth separating out:
Q: How do you know if passwordless authentication is actually working?
A: Look for fewer password resets, lower help desk volume, and stronger resistance to credential reuse attacks, but also review whether account recovery incidents are rising. A successful programme improves usability and reduces password dependence without shifting abuse into enrolment or recovery processes.
👉 Read our full editorial: Passwordless authentication reduces human login risk, but trust shifts
