Better Authentication is Always Your Fingertips

Even if you’re doing everything right, business cybersecurity is a challenge. Mistakes are common. Passwords are forgotten, and physical buttons can go missing. That said, there is one form of authentication that you can’t help but have with you: yourself.

Biometrics have been experiencing a surge in popularity as a means of authentication. Let’s explore why that is.

Are Biometrics a Viable Proof of Identity?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes, especially when you look at it mathematically. Statistically speaking, the chance of your fingerprints matching anyone else’s from all of human history—all 110 billion people or so that are estimated to have ever existed—is about one in 64 billion. Plus, different biomarkers can be used in tandem, making these chances even slimmer.

How Can Biometrics Be Used?

Facial Recognition

Speaking of statistics, it’s practically guaranteed that you or someone you know actively uses facial recognition now as a means of opening their device. With options like FaceID and Windows Hello, mobile devices and workstations alike can check a user’s face to confirm whether or not they have permission to access their contents.

Fingerprint Scanning

We’ve already addressed how unique and convenient fingerprints are as a form of authentication, but recent advances are even improving on these stats. While not accessible to the average SMB, some modern scanners scan the veins under the hand, requiring no contact to confirm a user.

Voice Patterns

Passwords are one thing, but being able to track how a person speaks in terms of their tone, cadence, and pitch has also proven to be a valuable verification tool. This is particularly the case where remote work is involved.

Are Biometrics Safe for User Privacy?

This is the big sticking point for many people. Changing a password or registering a new key card is one thing… who you are, physically, is much harder to change if a breach took place. It also requires your company to possess this biometric information. This all can make end users a bit nervous, and fairly so.

To assuage their concerns, it may help to give them a bit of context on how their data is stored. Instead of an image of their face or a fingerprint, the data is converted into a hash, which is essentially a math problem. This data is also tied to the hardware, hidden away from even the operating system.

Interested in Implementing Biometric Authentication?

We can help you secure your business. Give us a call at (603) 499-4400 to learn more.