How do device-bound passkeys enhance security?

Vincent Delitz

Vincent

Created: January 31, 2025

Updated: January 31, 2025

Do you want to learn more?

Read full blog post

How Do Device-Bound Passkeys Enhance Security?#

Device-bound passkeys are a type of WebAuthn credential that is strictly tied to the device on which they were created. Unlike synced passkeys, which can be backed up and retrieved from a cloud account, device-bound passkeys remain on a single device, making them inherently more secure in certain use cases. Here's why:

device bound passkeys security

1. Protection Against Phishing Attacks#

  • Since the private key never leaves the device, attackers cannot intercept or steal credentials through phishing attempts.
  • Even if a user is tricked into visiting a fraudulent website, their passkey cannot be used to authenticate with the malicious site.

2. Prevention of Unauthorized Access#

  • Device-bound passkeys ensure that authentication only happens from the specific device where the passkey was created.
  • This prevents attackers from accessing an account from an untrusted device, even if they somehow obtained the public key.

3. Hardware-Backed Security#

  • These passkeys are stored in secure hardware modules such as:
    • Secure Enclave (Apple)
    • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) (Windows)
    • Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) (Android)
  • These modules protect against tampering and unauthorized extraction of passkeys.
Enterprise Icon

Get free passkey whitepaper for enterprises.

Get for free

4. No Cloud Dependency Reduces Attack Surface#

  • Unlike synced passkeys, which rely on cloud storage, device-bound passkeys eliminate risks associated with cloud data breaches or account takeovers.
  • There is no risk of attackers gaining access by compromising cloud accounts.

5. Compliance with High-Security Environments#

  • Many regulated industries, such as financial services and government agencies, require strict device-bound authentication to meet compliance standards.
  • Device-bound passkeys ensure that credentials cannot be exported or shared, making them an ideal choice for environments requiring the highest level of authentication security.

Are There Any Downsides?#

While device-bound passkeys offer strong security, they have limited portability:

  • If the device is lost or replaced, the passkey cannot be recovered unless the user manually registers a new one.
  • Users must maintain a backup authentication method, such as a secondary passkey on another trusted device.

Conclusion#

Device-bound passkeys significantly enhance security by ensuring that authentication remains locked to a specific device, reducing phishing risks, eliminating cloud-based attack vectors, and leveraging hardware-backed protection. They are particularly suited for high-security applications where strict device control is required.

Do you want to learn more?

Read full blog post

Share this article


LinkedInTwitterFacebook

Enjoyed this read?

🤝 Join our Passkeys Community

Share passkeys implementation tips and get support to free the world from passwords.

🚀 Subscribe to Substack

Get the latest news, strategies, and insights about passkeys sent straight to your inbox.


We provide UI components, SDKs and guides to help you add passkeys to your app in <1 hour

Start for free