The RFP hit your inbox at 7:04 a.m., and the clock started ticking. Security, compliance, and user experience hang in the balance. You need a passwordless authentication solution, but the procurement process is a minefield. Buy the wrong thing, and you’ll spend the next year bleeding time into integration issues, vendor lock-in, and angry users.
Step One: Define Requirements With Precision
Map your needs before you talk to vendors. Decide if you require FIDO2, WebAuthn, magic links, biometric support, or all of them. Identify your compliance obligations—GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA. Document supported platforms and identity providers. Note performance expectations: authentication latency, uptime SLAs, failover behavior. These set the baseline for evaluation.
Step Two: Vet Technical Architecture
Request architecture diagrams and API documentation early. Check for open standards support to avoid lock-in. Ensure client SDKs are lightweight, well-maintained, and versioned. Assess how the solution integrates with your existing stack: reverse proxies, IDaaS, CI/CD pipelines. Insist on reviewing sample code and sandbox environments.
Step Three: Evaluate Security Model
Challenge each vendor’s threat model. Look at how private keys are generated, stored, and rotated. Demand clear explanations of cryptographic protocols. Verify phishing resistance, replay attack protection, and risk-based authentication features. Confirm that audit logs are immutable and easily exportable.