The shift towards passwordless methods of authentication is slowly gaining momentum as organisations seek to enhance security and improve user experience. But what does this mean in practice and do the potential benefits outweigh the challenges involved?
How Does It Work?
Passwordless authentication is exactly what the name suggests – authentication that doesn’t rely on entry of a traditional password. Instead, a range of other unique elements are used to verify a user’s identity.
Examples of alternative authentication methods include:
Biometric authentication: Uses physical characteristics like fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans for identification.
Possession based authentication: Uses a physical device or item to verify the user’s identity, such as a mobile device, USB device, ID card or hardware token.
One-time passwords: Automatically generates a numeric code when the user logs in, typically sent via SMS or email.
Authenticator apps: A piece of software that continuously generates unique codes that need to be entered at login. Considered more secure than SMS-based authentication as they cannot be intercepted.
What Are The Pros and Cons?
While passwordless authentication may seem like a more secure method of validation than relying on a user generated password, there are a number of things to consider before going down this route:
- Implementation Complexity: Implementing a solution such as biometric authentication is not straightforward and requires significant investment in technology and user training.
- Dependency on Physical Devices: Users must have access to their trusted devices at all times for authentication purposes. If a mobile device is lost or stolen, this will severely impact the user’s ability to access their accounts and could also compromise security.
- Financial Impact: Implementing a robust passwordless solution can be expensive, especially for larger organisations with multiple users.
- User Adoption: Overcoming user resistance and ensuring widespread adoption can be challenging. People may be particularly wary of having their biometric data stored and accessed by company systems.
Despite the challenges, the benefits of passwordless authentication often outweigh the drawbacks:
- Passwordless authentication makes it harder for attackers to gain unauthorised access to systems and data via password theft, phishing and brute-force attacks.
- It also benefits the users who do not have to set and remember complicated passwords.
- Password-related IT support requests, such as recovery or resetting of forgotten passwords will be less common, allowing IT teams to focus on more strategic tasks.
- Companies can demonstrate a commitment to comply with regulatory requirements for stronger authentication methods.
In reality, most organisations have adopted a dual approach where a traditional password is used in conjunction with a passwordless method of authentication. By carefully planning and executing this kind of strategy, organisations can reap the rewards of a more secure and efficient login process.
So what do you think?
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