4 Reasons to Use Passwordless User Auth for NodeJS Sites
Backing your website’s server-side with NodeJS? You should consider passwordless authentication instead of relying on the built-in user schema, CRUD operations, routers, and JWT.
Password-based authentication is getting less secure with time. According to Digital Shadows, over 24 billion passwords were exposed by hackers in 2022.
To counter security issues with passwords, Passwordless user authentication was introduced. This phenomenon enhances multiple authentication aspects, like security, user experience, and more.
This article covers:
- What’s NodeJS
- What’s passwordless authentication
- 4 reasons to use passwordless user auth for NodeJS sites
What’s NodeJS
Based on the JavaScript V8 engine, NodeJS is a back-end platform. Developers use it to create server-side web apps that are data-intensive and require an async event-driven model.
For almost any kind of project, NodeJS is the top choice. Mainly because it’s an open-source tool. Popular Node sites are LinkedIn, PayPal, Netflix, Groupon, GoDaddy, Trello, NASA, etc.
What’s Passwordless Authentication
A way to verify the identity of a user without using a password is known as passwordless authentication – pretty self-explanatory.
Passwordless auth relies on two main factors:
- Possession – hardware tokens, authentication devices, certificates, etc.
- Inherence – biometrics, fingerprints, face scans, behavior patterns, etc.
Instead of the knowledge factor – your password- this authentication uses something you possess and inherent.
Some popular passwordless solutions are:
- Social OpenID
- Passkey
- MFA
- Hardware Auth Key
- Universal TOTP Auth
4 Reasons to Use Passwordless User Auth for NodeJS Sites
Here are four reasons why passwordless user auths are taking the edge over traditional password-based login systems:
Better User Experience
According to Bitwarden, 79% of internet users log in to websites using passwords multiple times daily.
With traditional passwords, users must enter their credentials explicitly multiple times. The process is slow, outdated, and hectic. On the split side, with passwordless methods, users can verify by scanning their faces, fingerprints, etc.
To log in via passwordless solutions, customers don’t have to indulge in the multi-step process of creating and re-entering complex passwords. That takes off a lot of burden from them.
According to Pindrop, 57% of consumers are tired of password authentication questions. Passwordless auths don’t require the user to answer the questions manually.
With password-less solutions, you can decrease your site’s cart abandonment rate. As per FIDO, 58% of consumers abandon shopping carts due to log-in frustrations. And as passwordless methods are swift, your customers won’t find the sign-in process frustrating.
Finally, an increasing number of people recognize the threats pinched with passwords. That’s why users now prefer passwordless authentication. As per a survey by Ponemon Institute, more than 55% would like to protect their accounts with a method that doesn’t use passwords.
Easy to Manage
Going passwordless eliminates the need for password management, storage, and reset flows. As a company head, you don’t have to worry about remembering, storing, and managing passwords, as your authentication provider will handle everything.
According to Security.org, 1 in 4 internet users reuse their password manager’s master password for other accounts. Users no longer have to use write down their passwords, create complex passwords for multiple sites and remember them.
As per the same report, 45 million people rely on password managers to keep track of their passwords. So, password managers will not be needed as passwordless verification relies on possession and inheritance factors.
All-in-all, passwordless verifications are easy to manage by both users and companies.
Resistant to Security Breaches
According to Bitwarden, only half of internet users are somewhat familiar with the best password security practices. This means human error is bound to happen, leading to the creation of weak passwords.
Thanks to passwordless solutions, there’s no need for passwords. So, there’s nothing to create, remember, and manage. Also, as per the Bank of North Dakota, 81% of company data breaches are due to poor passwords.
As there’s nothing to hack, bad actors won’t be able to gain unauthorized access by performing attacks like:
- Credential stuffing
- Brute force
- Phishing
- Account takeovers
Combining passwordless authentication with extra mechanisms like 2FA, MFA, OTP, etc., makes the process even more robust. As per Microsoft, MFA blocks 99.99% of account takeovers.
Affordable
Regarding passwords, there are many moving parts, like storing, managing, and resting. And all those require recurring funds.
For instance, according to a World Economic Forum’s whitepaper, employees spend 11 hours per year resetting their passwords. For a company with 15,000 employees, it translates to a productivity loss of $5.2 million per year.
Thanks to passwordless solutions, users don’t have to reset their passwords. So, there is no productivity loss.
To store passwords, companies have to encrypt and decrypt them. By going passwordless, there’s no need for that – more cost-cutting.
Scalability is also affordable with passwordless solutions, as everything is streamlined via one provider. With the growing customer base, you don’t have to worry about upgrading your infrastructure, IT staff, etc.
Implementing Passwordless Authentication for NodeJS with Vault Vision
Add passwordless solutions like Passkeys, OpenID, TOTP, etc., on your NodeJS site with Vault Vision. We strive to provide multiple platforms with easy, fast, and secure user logins.
To add Vault Vision to your Node.js site, simply copy & paste our boilerplate into your site environment. Then, set the URL issued by us. After that, you can test and experiment with multiple passwordless methods provided by Vault Vision.
Final Words
Passwordless authentication is gaining momentum and cementing secure, fast, and reliable verification practices worldwide. According to a survey, 41% of respondents believe it provides better security.
Secure your Node.js site by integrating passwordless solutions by simply copying & pasting Vault Vision’s boilerplate code. Sign-up for the free trial of Vault Vision now – no credit/debit card information is required.
https://resources.digitalshadows.com/whitepapers-and-reports/account-takeover-in-2022
https://bitwarden.com/resources/world-password-day/
https://www.hipaajournal.com/passwordless-authentication-poor-password-practices/
