undefined | Better HN

0 pointsbradley131y ago0 comments

That's not the idea, no. The idea is that - instead of a password - you have a cryptographic key. Like an SSH key. This key is managed for you, so you never have to see it or type it. You ought to be able to either have just a few keys, or else a different key for every service you use.

Unfortunately, the big players are trying to force this (really excellent!) idea into platform dependency. They want to store the keys on physical devices, which (a) eliminated portability and (b) restricts the number of keys you can have. If your device fails, you will also be faced with account-recovery problems.

Great idea, but the implementations are looking...not great.

0 comments

skybrian1y ago

Both iOS and Android sync to other devices in the same ecosystem, so there is at least a limited form of device portability.

If you have both, register two passkeys with each account and that's even better, since they back up each other if the vendor somehow deletes your account.

whereismyacc1y ago

Wouldn't transferring the keys around just massively increase the attack surface? There's a security reason why we want them stored on-device and never moved, right?

shepherdjerred1y ago

Think of all of the password leaks you've heard of. How many were due to syncing password vs password reuse, poor site security (e.g. storing in plaintext, weak encryption, etc.)

I'm not saying syncing is 100% secure (nothing is), but for most people it's not the main attack surface to be concerned about.

bradley13OP1y ago

The KeepassXC file is encrypted (granted, only with a password). Sure, that file is now on multiple devices, so somewhat more vulnerable.

The problem with storing on-device comes when you use multiple devices. I have three devices (PC, laptop and phone) that I use regularly and interchangeably. What am I supposed to do, if the keys are tied to a single device? Worse, what do I do if that device dies, or is stolen?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse