Either by sending a code to SMS or Email, you are able to sign into your account without ever needing to or being able to add a password. Why has this become a thing recently?
Either by sending a code to SMS or Email, you are able to sign into your account without ever needing to or being able to add a password. Why has this become a thing recently?
Yeh but with 2FA the password is essentially irrelevant because no one other than you can get in even if they have your password, so why not just skip it?
What downsides are there to passwordless authentication in your mind?
I’m not defending passwords specifically. You could do better 2FA with email + biometrics, although of course device authentication is only as secure as the device itself—but that’s entirely beside the point, which is that there must be two factors if you’re going to call something two factor authentication.
Passwordless isn’t 2FA……it’s passwordless. I’m not calling it 2FA.
I see that the comment I initially replied to has been edited, but it still reads as though the second factor of 2FA is itself 2FA:
2FA stands for two-factor authentication. The typical case you’re describing:
Factor 1: password Factor 2: device check, usually
That second step of device verification itself isn’t 2FA, it’s only the second factor of that particular 2FA, and the reason your account is more secure behind it isn’t because it’s a device check but because it’s a second factor. There’s not really a “main” security check in 2FA because having two is the whole point.
I do have thoughts about passwordless as a standalone security measure, but that’s not at all what I’m addressing here. I will add, however, that since passwordless can only ever be as strong as the security on your email account…it might seem like enough if your email is protected by 2FA—but not if you mistakenly leave your email logged in on a device someone else has access to, which may sound stupid but it definitely happens.
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Because the password still needs to be correct. What if the thief has your phone but no password
If a thief already has your phone unlocked then nothing else matters, you’re fucked and all your accounts are compromised.
There’s lots of factors for everything isn’t there. If a thief has your phone unlocked then yes you’re pretty much knackered
Password reset?
But they don’t have access to your email in this instance.
If the thief has your email and password and phone then you’re SOL
If they’ve got your phone with your 2FA they’ve also got your email on your phone lol
If they don’t have email access, why is a passwordless magic link sent to an email bad then?
The tech “enthusiasts” of Lemmy are really showing their arses in here lol. They have a “I took 2 semesters of computer science so I’m somewhat of an expert” level of understanding and mentality.
There’s a reason most big tech companies are starting to move to passwordless logins. If 2FA is the ultimate protection about unauthorised access, the password is ultimately irrelevant - and given all we know about password reuse and data breaches, getting rid of them is a good thing.