Automation is becoming increasingly important in cybersecurity, supported by improved security measures like biometrics. However, businesses face an apparent bewildering choice of solutions to considering adopting. How can a firm steer its way through the cybersecurity minefield?
Bindu Sundaresan, Director at AT&T Cybersecurity offers a different perspective on what to be most mindful of when considering effective cybersecurity measures.
According to Sundaresan it is important to recognize “the use of strong passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication” as a basic measure. However, to advance cybersecurity and to provide a more robust solution, “organizations will need to adopt a combination of biometric authentication, hardware tokens, and one-time codes to move towards a passwordless future.”
The advantage of this approach is with overcoming a fundamental flaw with passwords, which Sundaresan sees as: “This will minimize the impact that weak, reused, and stolen passwords may have on an organization’s security posture. More specifically, this combination of authentication methods employ advanced encryption techniques to ensure that only authorized users gain access to sensitive information.”
Putting this across as a real-life situation, Sundaresan says: “For example, with modern phishing methods aimed to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) safeguards, multi-factor checks like fingerprint scanning can confirm possession of the user’s private key in a way that’s highly resistant to phishing without using passwords as security mechanisms.”
In terms of the advantages: “With that said, a top-of-the-line authentication provider can be tailored even further for the needs and user preferences of an organization by offering one time passwords (OTPs), PINs, Fast IDentity Online, and push notifications – which the use of could result in reduced cyber insurance premiums.”
Furthermore, Sundaresan observes: “An MFA solution must also allow for the configuration and fine-tuning of access control rules – for instance limiting the number of MFA attempts before being locked out.”
There are also time savings for administrators: “Just as important, biometric authentication, hardware tokens, and one-time codes reduce the time spent on password resets and management, enhancing user experience and allowing employees to focus on more critical tasks.”
The five most common types of biometric identifiers are: fingerprints, facial, voice, iris, and palm or finger vein patterns.
Plus advantages for the workforce overall: “Quick and seamless access to applications and services not only boosts productivity, but improves collaboration across the organization while reducing the burden on IT help desks, minimizing password-related issues. With some employees needing rapid access to work accounts, balancing security with user convenience can be critical.”
