Biometric authentication is becoming more prevalent in workplaces. In 2018, a survey by a network for IT industries called Spiceworks revealed that 62% of business organizationsin North America and Europe are already using biometric authentication technology. Meanwhile, 24% of them indicated plans on utilizing the technology within two years. Workplaces are slowly making the transition from text-based passwords to a more reliable and secure authentication method.
Passwords have been the oldest line of security in digital systems. But this traditional authentication creates a weakness in organizations and exposes them to higher risks ofcyberattacks and social engineering tactics.
Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) credentials are effective if they are difficult to guess. They must be created using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. However, because many users lean towards convenience rather than security, the goal of preventing easy access is often lost. Bad password practiceslike the use of “12345”, names, and birthdays continue to persist even with the record high cases of access breaches. This creates a weakness in access control, which in addition to the cybersecurity risks, makes passwords unreliable.
Furthermore, passwords are not effective in identifying whether the person signing in is the actual account owner. With passwords alone, there is no secondary defense to protect the system if the password falls into the wrong hands. This limitation exposes the system to threats of manipulation and misuse.
Thus, the use of passwords today might not be enough to ensure user security and privacy. As a result, new authentication methods like biometric identification are closing in to replace passwords in verifying user identities in workplaces.
Strong multi-factor authentication (MFA), particularly the use of both biometrics and device-based authentication, is the solution to the vulnerability concerns and limitations of passwords. MFA creates a more rigid layer of security in computerized systems by employing more than one authentication procedure in granting system access. With this method, entry by an unauthorized person is much more difficult to cheat and carry out.
The growing use of biometrics technology and MFA capabilities in corporate and business-to-consumer (B2C) settings is a snippet to a future with passwordless accounts and systems. The use of facial recognition and fingerprint verification in unlocking mobile devices, for example, is evidence of progress in overcoming the weaknesses of passwords. Total removal of passwords is not yet achieved, but workplaces are finally getting better at making system access fool-proof with biometrics authentication.
Learn more about passwordless logins in the context of today’s remote working situations with this infographic from authID.
