Notifications
Clear all
Topic starter
08/06/2026 4:05 pm
TL;DR: Passwordless authentication is gaining traction, but many deployments still rely on hidden passwords, partial rollouts, or inconsistent definitions that leave parts of the enterprise exposed, according to Axiad. The real test is whether the control removes password dependence across the full authentication path, not just the user experience.
NHIMG editorial — based on content published by Axiad: Is Your Passwordless Solution Truly Password-LESS?
By the numbers:
- Gartner reports that passwordless authentication is the fourth top security and risk trend for 2020.
Questions worth separating out
Q: How should teams implement passwordless authentication without leaving hidden password risk?
A: Start by mapping every authentication and recovery path, not just the primary login.
Q: Why do partial passwordless deployments still leave organisations exposed?
A: Because attackers target the weakest remaining path.
Q: How can security teams tell whether passwordless is actually working?
A: Look for end-to-end removal of passwords from the authentication path, not just fewer prompts on the screen.
Practitioner guidance
- Map passwordless coverage by application path Inventory every login flow, fallback route, and recovery mechanism so you can see where passwords still exist in the background.
- Prioritise phishing-resistant methods for high-risk access Use PKI, PIV, or FIDO2 first for privileged and remote users, then expand coverage to broader workforce scenarios.
- Treat exceptions as measurable security debt Track every application that cannot yet support passwordless authentication and assign an owner, deadline, and compensating control.
What's in the full article
Axiad's full blog post covers the operational detail this post intentionally leaves for the source:
- Specific implementation guidance for combining PKI with SSO across cloud and legacy applications.
- Examples of passwordless methods including PIV, FIDO2, and mobile PKI in enterprise contexts.
- The article's five-step getting-started approach for organisations transitioning to passwordless.
- Axiad's view on how to choose a partner for passwordless rollout and support.
👉 Read Axiad's analysis of whether passwordless really removes passwords →
Passwordless authentication: what teams miss about hidden dependencies?
Explore further
08/06/2026 5:30 pm
Passwordless is not a state, it is a coverage condition. The article’s central problem is not whether passwordless authentication exists, but whether it applies consistently across the full access surface. A front-end experience without password entry can still conceal password dependence in vaults, fallback methods, or downstream applications. Practitioners should treat passwordless as an estate-wide control boundary, not a feature label.
A few things that frame the scale:
- 90% of IT leaders say properly managing NHIs is essential for a successful zero-trust implementation, 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 a complete inventory.
A question worth separating out:
Q: What is the difference between passwordless user experience and true passwordless authentication?
A: User-experience passwordless means the user does not type a password. True passwordless authentication means the password is removed from the authentication mechanism itself, which is a stronger and more defensible model for enterprise IAM.
👉 Read our full editorial: Passwordless authentication still hides password-era dependencies
