How passkeys work: Going passwordless with public key cryptography

Passwords are a pain—they’re easy to forget, hard to manage, and a favorite target for hackers. This piece breaks down how "passkeys" (a new login method) ditch traditional passwords entirely by using public key cryptography. Instead of sharing a secret (like a password), your device and the service you’re logging into exchange mathematically linked keys—one public, one private. No more reused passwords or phishing risks. It’s like a digital handshake that only works if both sides have the right credentials.