5 Ways Global Authentication Inc. Is Enhancing Security

Businesses that want to safeguard their online identities and data may find keeping their networks secure difficultly. What can businesses do to protect their network and improve their cybersecurity posture at a time when password leaks and data theft are so common?

Passwords by themselves are no longer safe enough. Some of the most significant data thefts in recent years began with a weak password. The effects of a data breach frequently have a cascading impact, exposing more users to the company’s network. 

Cybersecurity will continue to be a problem unless we develop more creative methods to safeguard our online devices, identities, and accounts. Fortunately, various forms of Authentication offer multiple layers of security to optimize the network security that businesses require.

What is Authentication?

Authentication is verifying an individual’s identity before granting them entry to a network or system. Usually, it is classified using the following standards: Biometric characteristics, such as fingerprint or face recognition technology. Knowing items like passwords or the solutions to security questions are examples of knowledge factors. Possession variables are items you possess, such as tangible tokens, One-Time Passwords, or SMS codes.

A system is made more difficult to hack by combining several authentication methods. One example of global Authentication inc. that uses multiple factors is companies that issue digital certificates to devices as part of the authentication process in addition to a user’s identity and password. 

1. User Password Authentication

The most popular form of identification is passwords. A string of letters, digits, or special characters can be a password. Ensure your passwords are strong and incorporate a variety of characters to safeguard yourself. However, phishing attacks and poor password hygiene can undermine their efficacy. 

Only 54% of users use unique passwords across all their accounts, despite the average individual having about 25 distinct online accounts. 

Numerous credentials need to be remembered. Therefore, a lot of individuals favor convenience over security. Because they are simpler to recall, most people use simple passwords rather than secure ones. The fact remains that passwords have numerous flaws and are ineffective at securing online information. Hackers can quickly guess user credentials by trying every combination until they discover one that works.

2. Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is an authentication technique that necessitates using two or more distinct methods of individual identification. Examples include the user’s smartphone’s generated codes, Captcha puzzles, fingerprints, voice biometrics, or face recognition. 

MFA authentication methods and technologies increase users’ trust because they add multiple levels of security. Although MFA has drawbacks, it may be a decent defense against most account hacks. People might misplace their SIM cards or phones, rendering them unable to create an authentication code.

3. Certificate-based Authentication

Digital certificates are used in certificate-based authentication systems to identify users, machines, or devices. A digital certificate is an electronic paper modeled after a passport or a driver’s license. 

The certificate includes a certification authority’s digital signature and the user’s digital identification, including a public key. Digital certificates demonstrate public key ownership, which a certification authority can only give. 

When logging into a website, users give their digital certificates. The server checks the legitimacy of the certificate authority and the digital signature. Using cryptography, the server verifies the user’s possession of the proper secret key with the certificate.

4. Biometric Authentication

An individual’s distinctive biological traits are used as the basis for the security procedure known as biometric Authentication. Key benefits of utilizing biometric identification technologies include comparing biological traits to authorized features stored in a database is simple. Installation of biometric Authentication on gates and doors can regulate bodily entry. Your multifactor verification procedure can incorporate biometrics.

Consumers, governments, and private companies use biometric authentication technologies at airports, military installations, and international boundaries. The technology is used more frequently because it can achieve high security without causing user friction. These are typical biometric verification techniques:

• Facial recognition—matches a person’s facial features to a recognized visage registered in a database. Face recognition can be inconsistent when comparing faces from various angles or individuals with similar appearances, such as close relatives. Facial liveness avoids spoofing, such as ID R&D’s inactive facial liveness.
• Fingertip scanners: these devices compare the distinct fingertip patterns of different people. Some modern fingerprint scanners can evaluate even the vascular practices at people’s fingertips. Despite frequent errors, fingerprint scanners are consumers’ most widely used biometric technology daily. The prevalence of iPhones is to blame for this.
• Speaker Recognition, also called vocal biometrics, analyzes a speaker’s speech patterns to determine whether certain shapes and tones are produced. Like a password, a voice-protected gadget typically uses standardized words to identify users.
• Eye scanners—include equipment for iris and retinal identification. Iris detectors project a bright light into the eye
• and examine the colored ring surrounding the pupil for distinctive patterns. The trends are then contrasted with authorized data kept in a database. Wearing spectacles or contact lenses can cause errors in eye-based Authentication.

5. Token-based Authentication

Users can input their credentials only once to use token-based authentication technologies, providing a special encrypted string of random characters. You can use the token to access protected networks rather than repeatedly entering your credentials. The digital token demonstrates that you are already granted entry. RESTful APIs used by various systems and clients are use cases for token-based Authentication.

Bottomline

Technology for Authentication is constantly evolving. Businesses must think of Authentication as a way to improve user experience and progress beyond passwords. Due to authentication techniques like fingerprints, long and complicated passwords are no longer necessary. Attackers won’t be able to abuse passwords due to improved authentication techniques and technologies, and a data breach won’t occur.