The Top 10 Passwordless Authentication Solutions

Thales is a well-established technology company providing solutions across critical industries globally. Digital identity and security is a key market in their portfolio, and more than 30,000 organizations leverage Thales to verify identities, grant access, analyze information, and encrypt data. In 2019, Thales acquired identity security company Gemalto—which acquired SafeNet in 2015—enabling them to leverage Gemalto’s Trusted Digital ID Services platform and offer the SafeNet Trusted Access solution. SafeNet Trusted Access is a cloud-based, multi-tier, multi-tenant access management solution that combines SSO, MFA, and scenario-based access to enable organizations to simplify access, centralize identity management, and provide passwordless authentication for users.

SafeNet Trusted Access offers numerous ways to implement passwordless authentication. Smart SSO enables users to log into all their accounts and applications via one seamless portal, thereby limiting the number of passwords they need to use and remember, as well as offering flexible conditional access policies. MFA provides a broad range of passwordless authentication methods, including push one-time passwords, biometrics, pattern-based authentication (GrIDsure), PKI credentials, Google Authenticator, FIDO2-compliant hardware security keys and smartcards, and context-based authentication. Thales’ MobilePass+ app can be used on iOS and Android platforms, as well as Windows desktops, to enable users to authenticate using their device’s built-in biometrics or Windows Hello. The solution comes with fully automated management of users, permissions, and tokens, and provides admins with a comprehensive dashboard and customizable reporting capabilities.

SafeNet Trusted Access is quick to deploy, scalable, includes more than 150 out-of-the-box integrations. Users rate the solution as easy to deploy and manage, reliable, user friendly, and secure. Many also appreciate the ability to implement different methods of authentication for varying use cases, and praise the MobilePass+ app as particularly useful for not-so-tech-savvy users. The solution is suitable for organizations across all industries—including those in finance, healthcare, critical sectors, and governments—and is best suited for SMBs and Enterprises seeking a scalable and flexible solution with multiple options for authentication.

Cisco Duo is an industry-leading provider of identity and access management solutions. Acquired by Cisco in 2018, the platform currently serves over 20,000 customers and manages half a billion authentications every month.

Duo’s offering includes passwordless authentication and security, alleviating common frustrations and improving productivity. By reducing administrative tasks related to passwords, the platform lowers IT costs, while strengthening a company’s security stance. Duo aims to tackle various enterprise use cases such as Operating System login and legacy applications’ protection, moving toward a passwordless future across the enterprise environment.

Duo offers comprehensive coverage, securing every user, application, and device within a business. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), proactive detection of risk signals, and adaptive access policies based on various parameters are some features. The platform also offers personalized access control, allowing granular restrictions based on numerous factors such as user role, location, operating system, etc.

Duo integrates seamlessly with several legacy and custom applications. It offers support for both managed and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios, making it ideal for hybrid IT environments. In addition, Duo provides secure access for remote workers and offers a cost-effective authentication solution that can be deployed quickly, requires minimal administration, and offers automated threat analysis and compliance reporting.

We recommend Duo Access for both SMBs and larger enterprises across all industries, that are looking for a strong identity and access solution that will support their organization along every step of their journey to passwordless.

HID is a market-leading cybersecurity vendor that offers enterprise-grade, user-friendly identity verification solutions. HID’s Advanced Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) solution is a part of their Identity and Access Management (IAM) suite, sitting alongside identity and risk-based management products. The IAM suite allows IT teams to secure and manage access to both logical and physical assets and HID currently secures over 85 million user identities globally. Advanced MFA enables secure access to corporate networks, VPNs and cloud applications such as Microsoft 365, by requiring users to verify their identity in two or more ways—including without passwords.

HID’s Advanced MFA solution is centred around a zero-trust converged credential ecosystem. This system enables secure access to both physical corporate assets, like buildings, and logical assets such as networks. The system supports passwordless authentication via smart cards and security keys with support for FIDO, PKI, OATH, mobile push notifications, and biometrics.

HID’s smart cards also enable zero trust physical access to company sites. HID’s Advanced MFA supports Single Sign-On (SSO), which saves time as users need only authenticate once at the beginning of their session. HID’s admin console also features powerful reporting and analytics tools; these provide insights into who is accessing parts of the network, as well as enabling organizations to ensure security compliance.

HID is a strong solution for enterprise, governments, manufacturing, banking, education and healthcare due to its high level of security and its robust management features. We recommend Advanced MFA as a strong solution for any mid-sized organization or enterprise looking to secure and verify user access to corporate assets across multiple business levels.

Microsoft Entra ID ( formerly known as Microsoft Azure Active Directory) is an industry-leading cloud-based identity and access management solution, currently trusted by 425 million users globally to secure access to their apps, devices, and data. This platform offers features like SSO, MFA, and conditional access to enable users to log in easily and securely, as well as providing options for passwordless authentication. To log in password-free, organizations can choose from three methods of authentication, depending on their requirements: Windows Hello for Business, the Microsoft Authenticator app, and FIDO2 security keys. Currently offering four levels to their solution, passwordless authentication—alongside MFA and SSO—is available in all levels.

SSO can be password-based or SAML-based, and provides users full access to associated accounts without needing to enter a password. Windows Hello empowers users to log in using a single gesture, leveraging built-in biometrics authenticators within their devices, as well as PIN credentials. The Microsoft Authenticator app replaces passwords with push notifications that are sent to users’ devices and require approval from the user. As well as this, admins can manage identities and implement policies for granular access control, alongside real-time adaptive policies with conditional factors to limit risk.

Being a market leader, Microsoft offers a catalog including thousands of pre-built integrations, and is widely supported by third parties globally. Entra ID is a popular and highly-rated solution, praised by users as an easy to use, simple to integrate, effective, scalable, and secure solution that’s reliable for all use cases. Entra ID is suitable for organizations across all industries, and is best suited for enterprise businesses looking to implement a robust and secure passwordless authentication solution.

Okta is a market leader in identity and access management, currently serving more than 10,000 organizations globally. Their Software-as-a-Service identity management platform is flexible and scalable, enabling businesses to secure access to their cloud accounts and applications while simplifying log-in, and supporting more than 7,000 integrations. Okta’s Workforce Identity suite of products includes MFA, SSO, and universal directory, as well as reporting and device management, alongside other useful features. Okta enables passwordless authentication by supporting authorization by email links, factor sequencing, FIDO2-supported standards such as secure keys, biometrics, smartcards, and SSO.

Okta’s FastPass feature delivers secure, passwordless authentication across varied devices, browsers, and applications. Okta FastPass offers passwordless access to any SAML, OIDC, or WS-Fed application within Okta’s ecosystem. It coordinates with a variety of device management tools to provide a tailored, secure login process. A key feature of FastPass is its phishing resistant authentication flows, aimed at curbing credential phishing across different platforms. It is designed to be resistant to phishing on both managed and unmanaged Windows, iOS, Android, and macOS devices.

Okta’s solution ranks highly for its passwordless capabilities and user experience. End users find the solution easy to use, convenient, reliable, stable, and feel confident that their information is secure when using the platform. The platform currently supports more than 7,000 integrations with applications in the cloud and on-premises. Okta’s solution is suitable for enterprise customers across all industries; they offer flexible and scalable solutions for all passwordless use cases.

OneLogin, acquired by OneIdentity in 2021, is a leader in identity and access management, trusted by more than 2,000 organizations globally to manage access to their accounts, applications, and data. OneLogin’s Workforce Identity stack enables fast, simple, and secure access for employees, while offering identity lifecycle management and access controls for admins. The suite includes Secure Single Sign-On, SmartFactor Authentication, advanced directory, and access management controls.

Passwordless authentication is enabled via SSO, MFA, and certificate-based trust. SSO enables one-click access to all connected applications, whether on-premises or cloud-based. Methods of passwordless authentication available as part of MFA include email, SMS, voice, biometrics, Google Authenticator, FIDO2-compliant security keys, and the OneLogin Protect authentication app.

Using the OneLogin Protect app, users can easily and quickly log in by approving a push notification sent to their trusted device. As well as this, the OneLogin Desktop module leverages certificate-based authentication to enable passwordless log-in. This means users can authenticate by simply logging in to their operating system with their device password, as this is coupled with the installed OneLogin Desktop certificate.

The OneLogin Trusted Experience Platform can be deployed in the cloud, on-premises, or in hybrid environments, and features a catalog of more than 6,000 pre-integrated apps. The platform is highly rated for ease-of-use for both end-users and admins as it is secure and reliable. The platform also supports 25 languages—meaning organizations with a global presence can provide localized content for employees. This platform is best suited to mid-size and enterprise organizations across all industries looking for a comprehensive and reliable passwordless solution.

Ping Identity offers a stack of highly rated cloud solutions that provide seamless and secure user access for customers globally. With a focus on enterprise customers, Ping Identity currently manages over two billion identities through their identity and access management platform. Enabling admins to control user access from one centralized platform, their PingOne for Workforce solution is a package of identity services that includes SSO, MFA, directory services, and adaptive risk-based policies.

Alongside SSO, which enables single-click access to all accounts via a centralized employee dock and MFA (which prevents 99% of password-related attacks), Ping can be deployed in any cloud environment. PingOne for Workforce also offers passwordless authentication to provide an efficient user experience—without sacrificing security. Users can log in via push notifications, biometrics, and FIDO-enabled factors. Alongside this, the PingOne for Workforce platform leverages identity intelligence to detect anomalous behavior and signs of account compromise via adaptive and contextual authentication policies, a highly scalable user directory, and end-user self-service capabilities.

PingOne for Workforce offers an easy-to-use, reliable, and effective cloud-based identity platform that’s suitable for enterprise requirements. Ping Identity is trusted by 60% of the Fortune 100, including organizations in the finance, healthcare, public sector, manufacturing, and technology sectors. We recommend PingOne for Workforce for enterprises looking for secure and convenient identity and access controls for all users, applications, and devices.

Prove is a leading user authentication provider that specializes in passwordless identity verification. Their range of identity solutions enable secure, streamlined consumer access to applications and services. Prove Auth is Prove’s passwordless, OTP-less authentication solution that verifies users’ identities based on information derived from their smartphones—enabling secure, frictionless, and omni-channel access to web and mobile applications.

With Prove Auth, users can authenticate using their in-device biometrics, push notifications sent via an authenticator app, or Prove’s own “Phone-Centric Identity” authentication method. They can also use Prove’s approach and apply biometrics or push notifications as a form of “step up” authentication. Prove’s Phone-Centric Identity approach uses cryptographic authentication to verify users based on their possession of the phone in real-time, as well as on a behavior-based reputation profile linked to the user and their device. This profile is created by scanning billions of mobile, telecom, and usage signals that enable Prove Auth to verify that the user’s behavior is consistent with their historical behavior. By implementing this approach, organizations provide their users with a frictionless login experience, while minimizing the risk of fraud and account takeover.

Prove Auth is a cloud-based solution that integrates via API into your existing infrastructure. The solution is praised by current users for its effectiveness, reliability, and ability to provide a frictionless login experience for end users. Overall, we recommend Prove Auth for SMBs and enterprises alike, looking for a passwordless authentication solution to increase security whilst streamlining the login process.

RSA is a global cybersecurity provider specializing in user authentication and account access security. Their solutions enable organizations to secure and manage user access to their corporate accounts and applications, while making it as easy as possible for end users to access the data they need on a day-to-day basis. RSA SecurID is their adaptive MFA solution that enables admins to configure and enforce granular authentication policies across their organization and enables users to easily verify their identities via multiple form factors—including hardware authenticator keys–both with and without passwords.

RSA SecurID’s risk engine uses machine learning algorithms to analyze over 100 indicators of suspicious login activity—this includes payment activity, geolocation, and cross-channel intelligence. If high-risk or anomalous login activity is detected, users can verify their identities via traditional SMS one-time-passcodes, biometrics, mobile push notifications, and hardware or software tokens. From the central management portal, admins can configure which methods of authentication should be used at both a user and application level, making it possible for them to enforce passwordless authentication organization wide. Admins can also enforce single sign-on to minimize the use of passwords and create a universal login experience for all users.

RSA SecurID can deploy on-prem or in the cloud. The solution comes with granular configuration options, which smaller and mid-market organizations may not have the resources in-house to set up effectively. We recommend RSA SecurID for larger enterprises, especially those that are particularly concerned with meeting data privacy compliance regulations and may need to enforce different authentication methods across different business levels.

Yubico is rated highly in the Identity and Access Management space, serving millions of end-users in 160 countries and providing access to nearly 1,000 apps. They are best known for the YubiKey—a robust portable hardware key that provides access to devices, networks, applications, and online services in one touch. Currently offering multiple different keys at varying price points, organizations can invest in the solution that best meets their specific needs with regards to devices and the accounts that they want to secure.

The YubiKey is designed to be easy to use, fast, and reliable, as well as crush and water-resistant. It doesn’t require batteries or network connection to function. Using this secure key, organizations can achieve passwordless authentication—eliminating passwords and using FIDO2 open authentication standards—or can use it to implement strong multi-factor authentication, supporting one-time passwords and smart card authentication. To use the YubiKey when accessing devices and accounts, users only need to insert and touch their key if using a computer, or tap on the back of their device if using a mobile phone. If users prefer using authenticator apps, Yubico also offers their Yubico Authenticator app which enables users to store their credentials on their YubiKey rather than on their mobile device.

Overall, users find the YubiKey easy to set up and use, safe, convenient, reliable, and versatile. Some express concern over how easy the device may be to lose due to its small size, and how costly keys can be to replace if lost—but most report they have used the same key for multiple years with no issues. We recommend this solution for customers across all industries, with current customers including those in finance, retail, government, and internet services. This solution is best suited for enterprise organizations looking to further secure their log-in processes.