Deep Dive: Two-Factor Authentication vs Passkeys – A Head-to-Head The authentication landscape is shifting rapidly: for decades, passwords paired with two-factor authentication (2FA) were the gold standard for securing user accounts. Now, passkeys – built on FIDO2 and WebAuthn standards – are emerging as a passwordless alternative, promising stronger security and better usability. This technical deep dive breaks down how each works, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they stack up across key metrics. What is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)? 2FA adds an extra layer of security to password-based logins by requiring users to present two distinct "factors" of authentication from three possible categories: something you know (password), something you have (physical token, phone), or something you are (biometrics). Most 2FA implementations pair a password (something you know) with a second factor (something you have or are).…