Need to check your bank account? Login using a password.
Have to catch up on work? Login to the network with a password.
Ready to join your workout class via Zoom? Tap in your password there too.
Passwords are a big part of our lives, and have been for years. Using your child’s name or birthday as a code might have been okay as computers moved into our daily lives. Most of us know that doesn’t work anymore. They need to be longer, stronger, and unique for every account - Google recommends using passwords of 12 characters or more.
Of course, that doesn’t stop a lot of us from falling back into old routines. When you’re logging in to multiple platforms several times a day, remembering all of those passwords can be irritating at best.
However, we all know it’s important. A Verizon Business 2020 Data Breach Investigation Report found that 67 percent of breaches are caused by credential theft, errors, and social attacks. If hackers want in, they know it’s still one of the easiest ways to gain entry.
Designers are working on passwordless authentication, which is growing in demand, especially as we access more platforms from various devices. Passwordless authentication involves verifying a user’s identity using something other than a password. The two most common in use now are:
- A biometric such as your face or fingerprint
- Possession of a secondary account or device for two-factor authentication
Google has been predicting passwordless authentication for years. Thanks to a global pandemic and a massive change in the way the world works, the energy behind making these changes is at an all-time high. Both iOS 15 and macOS 12 recently announced significant steps toward creating passwordless devices and products.
Passwordless authentication creates a smoother user experience, especially as we sign up for more activities online. It eliminates frustration at remembering another passcode, and creates a more secure environment for every platform you use.
Passwordless authentication can reduce security threats like credential stuffing and phishing attacks. If you don’t have a password to provide, there’s nothing there to capture. Will it make hackers come up with other ways to breach data? Of course. But it will stop this hyper-vulnerable way today. That means greater security built into the system for you, right now.
It also reduces costs and increases productivity. How much employee time is spent finding, resetting, or recovering passwords to login to a system? It’s one of the most common reasons for people to access a help desk. A passwordless system takes that cost away.
There are a growing number of ways to move passwordless practices into your daily routine. Instead of ignoring them, choosing to stay with older security practices, choose to move forward and implement these into your office. It’ll make your practice more secure and more productive in the long run.
For IT Strategy, Cloud Conversion, or Help Desk Services reach out to us at Silver Linings Technology 360-450-4759.
