Okta FastPass

Devices register with Universal Directory through Okta Verify. After the one-time registration (regardless of where the user is located), the user has passwordless access to all resources in Okta.

What is Okta FastPass?

Before diving into the technical weeds, let's simplify it a bit.

• Okta FastPass turns your existing device (like your laptop) into your security key.
  • See these articles for enrolling Okta FastPass on your Windows or Apple computer. Employees using Apple computers, please see this article for FastPass instead. 

While most people associate passkeys with consumer accounts (like Google or Apple ID), FastPass brings that same security and convenience to the university environment.

 

How it Works as a Passkey

A passkey is essentially a cryptographic key pair based on the FIDO2/WebAuthn standard. FastPass follows this same logic:

• The Private Key: Stored securely on your device’s hardware (like the TPM on Windows or the Secure Enclave on Mac). It never leaves the device.

• The Public Key: Shared with Okta during registration.

• The "Handshake": When you log in, Okta sends a challenge. Your device uses the private key to sign that challenge—often verified by your face, fingerprint, or PIN—and sends it back.