Passkeys are superior to passwords in almost every way. They’re simpler to use because there’s nothing to memorize, type out, or paste in. They’re also always strong and come with multi-factor authentication built right in. In short, passkeys are awesome.
But why are passkeys almost always better than passwords? What’s the catch?
At the moment, you can’t securely move your passkeys between different password managers. It’s a technical shortcoming that we’re committed to solving, and now, after many months of thinking, prototyping, and discussing it with other security companies, we have some news to share.
Introducing two draft passkey specifications
Today, the FIDO Alliance has published a working draft of a new set of specifications that, once implemented by major passkey providers, will allow you to import and export passkeys in a way that’s both convenient and secure.
These new specifications are called:
- Credential Exchange Protocol (CXP)
- Credential Exchange Format (CXF)
These specifications provide a universal format and secure mechanism for transferring all kinds of credentials. That includes passkeys, traditional passwords, and everything else typically handled using a CSV file.
If every company adopts these new specifications, it will be simpler for everyone to use and store passkeys wherever they prefer.
Why we’re doing this
1Password believes that you own your data.
True ownership means you can download the information tied to your account and take it to a new service whenever you like. To be clear, we have no interest in creating a walled garden or locking you into 1Password.
Passkeys need to be transferable in a way that’s simple and totally secure.
Your passkeys are incredibly valuable given that, unlike passwords, they often come with multi-factor authentication built in. Exporting your passkeys in plaintext is therefore way, way too risky. Everyone agrees that something better is needed.
The draft specifications released today will make sure your passkeys and other sensitive data always have the protection they deserve.
We’ve written these standards in collaboration with industry peers in the FIDO Alliance. By working together we’re creating a truly open and seamless passwordless experience.
Next steps
The working drafts of these specifications are now available for the security industry to review.. This is an important step to ensure the proposals are truly fit for purpose.
If you’re interested, give them a read and provide feedback over on the FIDO Alliance’s GitHub page.
We’ll use the community’s feedback to improve the specs as we work toward implementing them in our password manager. 1Password is committed to supporting the new format and exchange protocol, and will let you know once the option to import and export passkeys is available.
Start using passkeys
If you haven’t done so already, there’s no better time to create your first passkeys. A growing number of websites and apps support them including Amazon, LinkedIn, and PlayStation.
Read our guide to learn how to save, share, and manage passkeys using 1Password. And if you have any questions about passkeys, like how they work and their benefits over passwords, check out this FAQs article.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. We’re excited by the possibilities of passkeys and how they can make the web a simpler and safer place for everyone.
Nick Steele
Staff Product Manager
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