Nowadays our entire lives are online, so authentication processes are of great importance. The online authentication must be able to identify who wants to enter a given system and validate if said person is authorized to do so.
A proper online authentication process is the first step in providing a memorable user experience. Especially when your private data is at stake. Controlling access is a basic security step.
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What is online authentication?
Online authentication is the action by which it is demonstrated and validated that a person is who they say they are. In fact, we carry out this process on a daily basis, for example, to access our work computer or our email.
Authentication is the barrier that allows or denies access to digital systems and applications.
The challenge of online authentication
When we talk about online authentication, we usually think of a user ID, usually the email and a password. However, this method is very insecure and easy to hack (here you have 13 reasons why passwords are not secure).
As highlighted by National Cybersecurity Alliance, “a static string of letters, numbers and symbols, no matter how complex or how often it is changed, is one of the weakest (and most easily forgotten) forms of protection” (NCA, 2020).
Therefore, with the aim of relying on more secure methods, more reliable online authentication measures have been developed, such as two-step authentication, codes through text messages (SMS), online applications and biometric factors. These systems are less exposed to password vulnerability because they involve actions or details that only the owner of an account/profile is capable of providing.
Biometric authentication: the most secure method
Biometric authentication refers to identity verification methods based on physical or behavioral characteristics. This category includes fingerprints, iris scans, facial recognition or writing patterns, among others.
The advantage of biometric authentication is that it allows the user to confirm her identity in a reliable and, above all, fast way; that is, it offers a frictionless user experience. Thanks to this feature, this method is being implemented more and more in companies and institutions.
This is a sign that we must take advantage of technological advances and implement, whenever possible, methods that protect the user’s confidential data.
Within this scenario, biometric authentication gains advantage. The agility it offers opens the door to a secure connection between the physical and digital worlds.
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