© FIDO Alliance 2025
1
1 © FIDO Alliance 2025
Authentication for
a Billion Consumers
Mike Slaugh
Principal Security Engineer
© FIDO Alliance 2025
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Scaling leads to more …
Users
123456
Authenticators
Complexity
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3 © FIDO Alliance 2025
How do you scale
an authentication system
to a billion users?
© FIDO Alliance 2025
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Scaling leads to more …
Users
123456
Authenticators
Complexity
Custom
er Experience
Sim
plify
Choice
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#1
Customer Experience
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Two Roles in Authentication Systems
Security Owner Experience Owner
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FRESH
Security
Certified
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FRESH
Experience
Certified
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FRESH
Security
Certified
FRESH
Experience
Certified
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Combine Roles?
?
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Considerations for Customer Obsession
Create a step-by-step experience to
guide your customers through the
authentication process
Authenticate customers at one time.
Avoid constantly redirecting the user
back for more authentication
Simple
Create defaults and preferences based
on historical usage
Predict which authentication methods
apply to the customer and have them
ready
Applicable
Eliminate confusing terms and phrases that
may only be meaningful only in certain
languages or cultures.
Accommodating
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#2
Simplify
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Authentication Taxonomy
Verify
An establishment of trust in an identity claim that
facilitates downstream activities and events.
Enroll
An agreement between parties of the credentials
that will be used going forward.
Recover
An event when a user no longer has access to the
previously agreed upon credentials and needs
another way to access their account.
Authenticate
A ceremony where credentials are presented
and validated to quickly and easily reverify the
user’s identity
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Authenticator of Choice
A1 A2
ID + AuthN
Know
• Password
• PIN
• Passphrase
Have
• Security Keys
• Smart Card
• One Time Codes
• Device Recognition
• TOTP
• Authenticator Apps
• Digital Certificate
• Device Bound Passkey
Are
Biometrics
• Touch
• Face
• Voice
• User Name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Customer Number
Allow users to have multiple options and let them choose based on
current situation
Identifier Authentication
• Multifactor Authentication
• Single factor Authentication
+ =
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#3
Choice
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Which Authenticators should you use?
1 2 3 4 5 6
Trust Thresholds should determine which authenticators the
program will support
Authenticator
High Trust
Med Trust
Security
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Login
Please sign in to continue.
Email
user123@gmail.com
Don’t have an account? Sign Up
Remember me
NEXT
Verify
Please choose a verification method
Password
Passkey
Send a code to my phone
Use an authenticator app
More Options?
NEXT
Password
Please enter your password
Password
LOGIN
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Trust Matrix
• Choose Authenticators
that are high trust
• Don’t allow combination
of lower trust
authenticators A1
A2
High
Med
High Med
Trust Thresholds should determine which authenticators
the program will support
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In Summary …
Build experiences based on customer needs
1
Simplify the complexity of the ecosystem
2
Provide several options to authenticate
3
© FIDO Alliance 2025
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21 © FIDO Alliance 2025
Thank you

FIDO Seminar: Authentication for a Billion Consumers - Amazon.pptx

  • 1.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 1 1 © FIDO Alliance 2025 Authentication for a Billion Consumers Mike Slaugh Principal Security Engineer
  • 2.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 2 Scaling leads to more … Users 123456 Authenticators Complexity
  • 3.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 3 3 © FIDO Alliance 2025 How do you scale an authentication system to a billion users?
  • 4.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 4 Scaling leads to more … Users 123456 Authenticators Complexity Custom er Experience Sim plify Choice
  • 5.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 5 #1 Customer Experience
  • 6.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 6 Two Roles in Authentication Systems Security Owner Experience Owner
  • 7.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 7 FRESH Security Certified
  • 8.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 8 FRESH Experience Certified
  • 9.
  • 10.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 10 FRESH Security Certified FRESH Experience Certified
  • 11.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 11 Combine Roles? ?
  • 12.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 12 Considerations for Customer Obsession Create a step-by-step experience to guide your customers through the authentication process Authenticate customers at one time. Avoid constantly redirecting the user back for more authentication Simple Create defaults and preferences based on historical usage Predict which authentication methods apply to the customer and have them ready Applicable Eliminate confusing terms and phrases that may only be meaningful only in certain languages or cultures. Accommodating
  • 13.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 13 #2 Simplify
  • 14.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 14 Authentication Taxonomy Verify An establishment of trust in an identity claim that facilitates downstream activities and events. Enroll An agreement between parties of the credentials that will be used going forward. Recover An event when a user no longer has access to the previously agreed upon credentials and needs another way to access their account. Authenticate A ceremony where credentials are presented and validated to quickly and easily reverify the user’s identity
  • 15.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 15 Authenticator of Choice A1 A2 ID + AuthN Know • Password • PIN • Passphrase Have • Security Keys • Smart Card • One Time Codes • Device Recognition • TOTP • Authenticator Apps • Digital Certificate • Device Bound Passkey Are Biometrics • Touch • Face • Voice • User Name • Email Address • Phone Number • Customer Number Allow users to have multiple options and let them choose based on current situation Identifier Authentication • Multifactor Authentication • Single factor Authentication + =
  • 16.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 16 #3 Choice
  • 17.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 17 Which Authenticators should you use? 1 2 3 4 5 6 Trust Thresholds should determine which authenticators the program will support Authenticator High Trust Med Trust Security
  • 18.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 18 Login Please sign in to continue. Email user123@gmail.com Don’t have an account? Sign Up Remember me NEXT Verify Please choose a verification method Password Passkey Send a code to my phone Use an authenticator app More Options? NEXT Password Please enter your password Password LOGIN
  • 19.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 19 Trust Matrix • Choose Authenticators that are high trust • Don’t allow combination of lower trust authenticators A1 A2 High Med High Med Trust Thresholds should determine which authenticators the program will support
  • 20.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 20 In Summary … Build experiences based on customer needs 1 Simplify the complexity of the ecosystem 2 Provide several options to authenticate 3
  • 21.
    © FIDO Alliance2025 21 21 © FIDO Alliance 2025 Thank you

Editor's Notes

  • #2 Users Edge cases become use cases Different markets will have different capabilities Complexity Complexity is the enemy of scaling Authenticators There is no “one authenticator” rule them all