Passwords are one of the oldest security tools in the world of software and the internet.
But in today’s environment—with cybercrime rising and hackers beginning to use machine learning—passwords just don’t provide enough protection for businesses. In addition, passwords can be costly, time-consuming, difficult to manage and result in poor user experience. Furthermore, the fact that password reuse is a common practice among customers and employees only exacerbates the problem.
Keeping passwords secure is a top priority for organizations because once one is compromised, it is very difficult to prevent or detect a security breach since attackers have a legitimate password. By getting rid of the risk associated with passwords, however, organizations will add a significant layer to the overall security of their IT infrastructure. As a result, Passwordless Authentication has become a popular and catchy term.
It is used to describe a set of identity verification solutions that remove the password from all aspects of the authentication flow and the recovery process as well. Therefore, by eliminating passwords as a method of authentication, organizations will remain competitive, secure, and compliant and have a modern authentication system that does not require users to remember passwords.
Some passwordless options have been around for a while but are starting to be implemented more by enterprises and even consumer-facing businesses. For example, smart cards and hardware tokens have been used as an alternative to usernames and passwords for decades. Nevertheless, some of the distinctive features of passwordless solutions include the ability to support a wide range of authenticators, public key cryptography, biometrics, comprehensive APIs, and support for legacy applications and services, among other things.
Account recovery must also be considered for IAM (Identity and Access Management) and especially passwordless authentication solutions: when users forget passwords, lose credentials, or change devices, they need ways to get access to their accounts. To ensure users can regain access to their accounts without compromising their security, a variety of trusted recovery options should be available.
The need for Passwordless Authentication solutions is increasing, but finding one that is simple, effective, and secure is challenging. Organizations must confront password-based threats and find alternatives without disrupting their users or business practices. If implemented successfully, a Passwordless Authentication solution will not only increase the security posture of the organization but also deliver a convenient and frictionless user experience.
