# Introduction

![](https://1669603073-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFAr86K7oT03KsmxlrwVj%2Fuploads%2FrmkDfineFF67yMJXr6GD%2FHiveAuth-diagram-01.png?alt=media\&token=0712e381-878f-4c70-868a-2bb0c5aa7e69)

HiveAuth is a fully decentralized solution for any application (web, desktop, or mobile) that wants to easily authenticate users without asking them for a password or private key.

When integrating HiveAuth protocol support, the Hive Authentication Services act as a bridge between any application and any Private Key Storage Application.

![](https://1669603073-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFAr86K7oT03KsmxlrwVj%2Fuploads%2FU8fVs7foyxzf02VHQ6OO%2FHiveAuth-diagram-02.png?alt=media\&token=5c74cc7e-17d4-49b7-830f-31559d221e4f)

In this documentation, we will use:

* the name **HiveAuth** or the acronym **HAS** to refer to the Hive Authentication Services
* the acronym **APP** for applications
* the acronym **PKSA** for Private Key Storage Application

In most cases, the Private Key Storage Application (**PKSA**) is simply your preferred Hive Wallet application installed on your mobile, but it can also be a desktop application or a service running on a server (see [Service Mode PKSA](https://docs.hiveauth.com/tutorials/pksa-code-example/service-mode)).

Any application can rely on HiveAuth to authenticate users. It doesn't need to be a "Hive application", except if it plans to sign and broadcast transactions to the Hive Blockchain.

It can also work cross-chain because the HiveAuth infrastructure is "transactions agnostic". Therefore, one can easily imagine for example a Telos App "talking" with a Telos Wallet but authenticating and securing the connection with the help of a Hive account.