Identity and Access Control: What Methods Will Appear in the Future?

In the near future, smartphones can be unlocked not only with a fingerprint scanner but also with various other more advanced methods. Based on the recent development, smarter devices will appear soon that can easily recognize heartbeats, brain waves, and eye moments. This can be a major breakthrough in the field of employee background verification and data protection.

In 2014, Microsoft founder Bill Gates predicted the end of password protection, and since then, its coverage has been gradually depleted. Albeit passwords are considered one of the most comprehensive tools in the Internet world, they repeatedly fail users, failing to secure their personal information. The primary reason behind its weakness is manageability, users are simply tired of it. Everyone has a vast number of online accounts - medical, banking, e-commerce, and social media. According to recent research, there are more than 40 accounts per person, and it is hard as nails to remember passwords for each of them, which is why people resort to all sorts of tricks.

Even more challenging is the fact that while people are focusing on fighting against Covid-19, hackers are using readily available data about the coronavirus as bait to perform targeted scams and phishing attacks. The latest survey revealed that more than 50% of the domains related to coronavirus lead to a site that infects visitors' computers with some kind of malware. This is why background verification companies stress organizations to instill a tradition of responsibility on their employees while dealing with online sources.

However, even with the growing concerns regarding security issues and repeated warnings from data security experts that using easily guessable static passwords is unacceptable, passwords like "123456", "passwords," and "qwerty" are still the top choice among users. This data was released by SplashData, which studied more than 5 million passwords.

No one should be surprised by the fact that 81% of hackers attacks and data leaks are because of stolen, weak, or reused passwords. Generally, hackers use simple password spraying attacks. They use a single password for numerous logins until a match is found. By using old passwords that users never change and can be easily guessed, users put them in a situation where it's just a matter of time for hackers to gain access to their accounts.

Over time, as more organizations realize the risks related to online security, modern employees verification software technologies are emerging that offer an alternative to ID validation (unique identification numbers). There are already several options available on the market, offering both a user-friendly experience and effective security. Recently, Gartner predicted that 60% of multinational corporations would move to passwordless authentication by 2022, a massive jump from the current 5%.

With traditional password protection getting weaker and security threats rising with each passing day, companies no longer have time to delay implementing new security measures. Nowadays, multiple security options have emerged, promising a bright future for passwordless authentication. Which one has potential, and what capabilities do they offer?

Digital fingerprint:

An overview of the features of the devices can be easily used as one of the forms of the password, provided that the network behavior, the device, and its location is constantly monitored. These features create a "digital fingerprint," and in the event of unusual activity (for example, logging from a different location or logging from a different system), access will be denied, or 2-step verification will be enabled for account security. In addition, an additional email or push notification will be sent to the user.

Fingerprint identification technology

Fingerprint recognition has been around us for several years but still relies on passwords - after a certain time interval, access can be reassigned to a pin code. In the near future, in addition to smartphones, there will be several other devices that can be unlocked by fingerprint - laptops, computers, vehicles, and even doors. By using employees verification software and encouraging workers to use fingerprint identification technology as a part of multi-factor authentication, for example, in conjunction with a pin code, the organizations can acquire greater security.

Short message service

Short message service or SMS is among the popular verification methods for entering online services. To perform this step, users provide a phone number already linked to the account. When any user tries to access their account, businesses send their phone number with a unique one-time access code, which they need to enter. In this method, no additional password is required.

Hardware keys

For some, it may seem outdated to go online using a physical key, but what is more important is that it provides reliable protection from hacking attempts. Security dongles with USB, NFC, or Bluetooth connections can be used by employees to safely and securely switch between laptops, smartphones, and computers. FIDO (Fast ID Online) security token works as follows: users connect them to a device to authenticate their account, which can be easily disabled. This provides a convenient solution for employees who work with devices in the office and also at their homes.

Assurance

With the help of cryptographic connections, identification procedures can also be entrusted to the employee's colleagues. By leveraging this relationship, colleagues can also vouch for each other by permitting access to their accounts.

Heart rate patterns

Modern security companies have devised a way to use the heart rate pattern for enhancing corporate safety. Heart rate tracking is performed by wearable devices that record people's heart rates and turn the electrocardiogram into unique passwords that can be used for unlocking smartphones, laptops, or other apps.

Iris scanners

The next step in the development of security devices is the iris recognition software. It allows employees to unlock laptops or smartphones provided by the company using eye movement. In the next few years, this Iiris scanner could also be deployed in employee verification.

The fact that alphanumeric protection is already outdated has been a subject of active discussion over the past two decades. However, nowadays, there are multiple options available that can replace easy-to-guess static passwords. From two-factor authentication to biometric and hardware keys, employee verification companies can choose any to keep their valuable data safe.