Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- FIDO Alliance’s seventh annual conference focuses on passkey deployment, identity lifecycle management, and emerging authentication challenges under the theme “New Frontiers”
- Technical sessions address non-human authentication for AI agents, post-quantum security preparedness, and interoperable digital credentials
- Designed for CISOs, identity architects, product managers, and security practitioners from technology, finance, healthcare, and government sectors
- Hybrid format combines in-person attendance in Carlsbad, California with remote participation options
- Sponsors include Google, Microsoft, Mastercard, Yubico, Cisco, Ping Identity, and numerous identity and security vendors
About Authenticate U.S. 2026
Authenticate U.S. 2026 is the FIDO Alliance’s annual conference dedicated to passwordless authentication and modern digital identity. Now in its seventh year, the event brings together security professionals, identity architects, and business leaders working on authentication systems at scale. The 2026 edition adopts “New Frontiers” as its central theme, examining how passkey technology can extend beyond login to address the complete account lifecycle, including secure account creation, recovery, and deprovisioning.
The conference takes place at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, with remote attendance available. Programming spans keynotes, technical deep-dives, workshops, masterclasses, and an expo hall featuring identity and authentication vendors.
Technical and Strategic Topics
Sessions cover practical passkey deployment, including implementation lessons and operational guidance from organizations running passkeys at production scale. Technical tracks examine FIDO standards, WebAuthn, threat detection architectures, and standards updates from working groups.
A significant portion of the program addresses emerging authentication scenarios. Non-human authentication sessions explore how AI agents acting on behalf of users can be securely authenticated, alongside device identity and API protection. Mobile and digital identity content covers identity wallets, verifiable credentials, biometrics, and payment authentication. Forward-looking sessions examine post-quantum cryptography implications for authentication systems.
Regulatory and Business Drivers
The conference addresses commercial and compliance motivations for passwordless adoption. Sessions examine business cases for passkey deployment, fraud prevention strategies (including countermeasures against deepfakes and AI-enabled impersonation), and regulatory requirements driving authentication upgrades across industries.
Who Should Attend
The event targets security and identity professionals across experience levels and organizational roles. CISOs and security strategists will find executive-level content on authentication strategy and risk reduction. Identity architects and engineers can attend hands-on technical sessions and workshops. Product managers and business leaders from technology, financial services, healthcare, government, and enterprise IT will find sessions addressing deployment decisions and vendor evaluation. The program accommodates both organizations currently deploying passkeys and those evaluating passwordless authentication strategies.