WebAuthn / Passkeys — Passwordless Authentication

Enterno.io Editorial Team

What is WebAuthn and Passkeys

By Anatoly Oshmanovsky · Updated Apr 17, 2026

Key idea:

WebAuthn (Web Authentication) — W3C standard (2019) for passwordless authentication. Users register an "authenticator" (TouchID, Windows Hello, Yubikey security key) → log in via biometrics. Passkeys — the Apple/Google/Microsoft synonym with synced keys across devices. Replaces passwords and SMS OTP. Phishing-resistant: the key only works for a specific origin.

Below: details, example, related terms, FAQ.

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Details

Public-key cryptography: authenticator generates a keypair per site
FIDO2 = WebAuthn + CTAP (Client-to-Authenticator Protocol)
Authenticator: platform (TouchID, Face ID) or roaming (Yubikey)
Origin-bound: phishing-resistant (the key does not work on the wrong domain)
Cross-device sync: iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager (Passkeys)

Example

navigator.credentials.create({
  publicKey: {
    challenge: randomBytes,
    rp: { name: "example.com" },
    user: { id, name, displayName },
    pubKeyCredParams: [{ alg: -7, type: "public-key" }]
  }
});

Related Terms

HeadersCSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, etc.

SSL/TLSEncryption and certificate

ConfigurationServer settings and leaks

Grade A-FOverall security score

Why teams trust us

OWASP

guidelines

15+

security headers

<2s

result

A–F

security grade

How it works

Enter site URL

Security headers analyzed

Get grade A–F

What Does the Security Analysis Check?

The tool checks HTTP security headers, SSL/TLS configuration, server info leaks, and protection against common attacks (XSS, clickjacking, MIME sniffing). A grade fromA to F shows overall security level.

Header Analysis

Checking Content-Security-Policy, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, and more.

SSL Check

TLS version, certificate expiry, chain of trust, HSTS support.

Leak Detection

Finding exposed server versions, debug modes, open configs, and directories.

Report with Recommendations

Detailed report explaining each issue with specific steps to fix it.

Who uses this

Security teams

HTTP header audit

DevOps

config verification

Developers

CSP & HSTS setup

Auditors

compliance checks

Common Mistakes

❌

Missing Content-Security-PolicyCSP is the primary XSS defense. Without it, script injection is much easier.

❌

Missing HSTS headerWithout HSTS, HTTPS-to-HTTP downgrade attacks are possible. Enable Strict-Transport-Security.

❌

Server header exposes versionServer: Apache/2.4.52 helps attackers find exploits. Hide the version.

❌

X-Frame-Options not setSite can be embedded in iframe for clickjacking. Set DENY or SAMEORIGIN.

❌

Missing X-Content-Type-OptionsWithout nosniff, browsers may misinterpret file types (MIME sniffing).

Best Practices

✓

Start with basic headersMinimum: HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy. Takes 5 minutes.

✓

Implement CSP graduallyStart with Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only, monitor violations, then enforce.

✓

Hide server headersRemove Server, X-Powered-By, X-AspNet-Version from responses.

✓

Configure Permissions-PolicyRestrict camera, microphone, geolocation access — only what is actually used.

✓

Check after every deploySecurity headers can be overwritten during server configuration updates.

Get more with a free account

Security check history and HTTP security header monitoring.

Learn more

How-to

Glossary

Research

Alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions

Passkeys vs WebAuthn?

Passkeys = marketing name for WebAuthn with cross-device sync. Technically the same thing.

Do I need new infrastructure?

No — WebAuthn works on standard HTTPS sites. Only JS API + backend validation needed.

Will it replace passwords?

Gradually. Gmail, Apple, GitHub already support it. 2026: ~15% of active users use passkeys.