Introduction
Microsoft Azure AD B2C is a leading cloud-based identity and access management service designed for customer-facing apps. In June 2020, Trusona became one of the first vendors to earn official integration certification with Microsoft Azure AD B2C for its passwordless authentication solution.
We are thrilled to share that Trusona Authentication Cloud, a solution that allows businesses to use passkeys for authentication, has also earned this certification.
Passkeys are an easier and more secure alternative to usernames and passwords. Unlike traditional credentials, passkeys are not typed or remembered and can be easily recovered. They eliminate much of the frustration and cost associated with password resets.
Additionally, passkeys are phishing-resistant and cannot be hacked or stolen en masse like usernames and passwords. With passkey-based authentication, users can sign in to websites using their biometrics, such as Face ID or Touch ID.
Today, almost every mobile device, laptop and desktop computer is passkey-compliant, with over four billion compatible devices in use worldwide. As a result, digital businesses that use Microsoft Azure AD B2C can now passkey-enable their websites quickly and easily using Trusona Authentication Cloud without having to develop a solution in-house. This approach can save valuable time, reduce costs and minimize the risk of a DIY development effort.
Benefits of using passkeys
Passkeys provide many advantages to digital businesses and their customers including:
- Being an industry-standard feature, integrated into nearly all new smartphones, desktops and laptops.
- Offering significantly greater security than traditional passwords, which helps to reduce the likelihood of account takeover and phishing attacks.
- Providing a more user-friendly experience for end users as they do not need to remember or type anything. This eliminates account lockouts and password resets.
- Synchronizing passkeys across a user’s devices, allowing them to sign in to all their devices, even new ones, without needing to re-enroll each device on each account.
Passkey user journeys
The primary user journeys I will focus on here are:
- The initial passkey upgrade experience for an existing user
- The sign-in experience using a passkey
Initial passkey upgrade experience for an existing user
After the user signs in using their username and password, the website prompts them to upgrade to passkeys. Depending on the website, the user may need to undergo an additional verification process (this prevents a bad actor with access to the user’s static credentials from also setting up a passkey to the user’s account). In the video below, an OTP code is sent to the user’s email to ensure their identity. Once verified, the user can initiate the passkey enrollment and create a passkey using their biometrics. From then on, they can sign in to the website on any Microsoft-synced device using their passkey.
The video below shows this process in action:
Sign-in experience using a passkey
When the user signs in to the website in the future, they can use their passkey as their credential, accessed by their biometrics. This makes it fast and simple for the user.
Below is a video that highlights the remarkable speed and simplicity of the new sign-in process. The browser automatically populates the dropdown menu with the correct passkey, requiring the user only to utilize Touch ID to authenticate and sign in.
Summary
Trusona’s passkey-based authentication solution provides a secure and convenient way for customers to access digital services. By eliminating the need for traditional usernames and passwords, businesses can improve user experience, reduce costs associated with password resets and enhance security.
Additionally, by leveraging Trusona’s integration with Microsoft Azure AD B2C, businesses can quickly and easily deliver passkey authentication and provide a seamless experience for their customers.
For more information
To learn more about the technical details of the integration including the data flows, setup, and configuration, visit the Microsoft documentation site Configure Trusona Authentication Cloud with Azure Active Directory B2C.
