Hanko.io’s new FIDO2-based passwordless IAM solution features biometric capabilities

German startup Hanko.io has released a new passwordless Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution. Hanko Identity uses FIDO2 and WebAuthn technologies to entirely eliminate passwords from the login process.

Instead, the tool enables logging in via a technology that Hanko calls Passlinks, essentially magic links sent to a user’s email. The Passlinks technology works via Hanko’s Authentication API and creates a session for that user while simultaneously validating ownership of the email account.

After signing in via Passlinks, users will then be able to set up WebAuth login locally on the device, using biometric authentication.

For context, WebAuthn technology is currently supported on all end-user devices running Windows 10 and 11, Android, and most Apple devices.

According to the company, Hanko Identity is particularly easy to implement in a company’s own technology stack, while also being highly customizable through its white-label capabilities.

In addition, since the solution does not require the use of passwords at any time, tech teams will not have to deal with forgotten passwords, phishing attacks, or the compromising of user data through server hacks.

“The integration of two-factor authentication or biometrics on top of passwords can complicate the user experience and is often a more extensive software project that will cost time and, therefore, a lot of money,” comments Hanko CEO Felix Magedanz.

“We are happy that with Hanko Identity, we managed to build a solution that eliminates all these problems.”

However, writing on Hanko’s website, Magedanz acknowledged that the “weakest link” of an account set up with Hanko Identity is the Passlink, whose security can be “considered dependent on the email account where Passlinks are sent to.”

To limit the risks associated with Passlinks, Magedanz suggested the use of a FIDO Security Key. The CEO also confirmed that Google and Microsoft Authenticator will also be introduced in the future.

“But remember, with Hanko Identity, 95 percent of your user’s logins will happen with WebAuthn biometrics, where no Passlink and no other 2FA is needed,” he writes.

Hanko Identity is now officially available on the company’s website, together with extensive documentation aimed at facilitating the solution adoption and deployment processes.

Article Topics

access management  |  authentication  |  biometrics  |  FIDO2  |  Hanko Identity  |  identity access management (IAM)  |  identity management  |  passwordless authentication