The Role of Biometric Authentication in a Passwordless World

In this era of AI, fraud has developed in unprecedented ways. That’s why, when it comes to circumnavigating these potential risks, authentication systems like biometrics play an essential role.

While safeguarding data might be your primary concern for some, access to authorized areas, cyberattacks, and avoiding buddy punching are valid concerns.

Biometric authentication is an easy solution to many problems like these faced by organizations today. However, it is quite understandable if you’re unsure whether it’s worth the significant investment. But to make things clearer, in this article, we’ll cover how biometrics can help both businesses and individuals alike.

What Types of Biometrics Can You Use?

Although there are several types of biometric authentication, they can be divided into physiological and behavioral based on common usage. Physiological biometrics refer to your fingerprint, facial feature recognition, and retina or iris recognition. However, there is also behavioral biometrics; one common example is voice recognition.

In the past two decades, we’ve seen a surge in devices that use these types of biometric authentication, but with several other types of biometric authentication, there are chances they may be more commonly implemented for specific industry functions going forward. This could be for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or a more robust IAM software framework.

7 Ways Biometric Authentication Used in Tech and Industries

1. Access Control for Restricted Areas and Secured Files

• Biometrics for Secure Facility Entry: Fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans ensure that only authorized personnel can access high-security zones like data centers, labs, and offices. This makes biometric authentication one reliable way to limit control to only authorized personnel.
  
  
• Enhanced Digital Security: With easy access to digital information from remote parts of the world, digital security needs constant improvement. For sensitive files, in this case, these can now be encrypted and unlocked using biometric authentication, eliminating risks from password sharing or theft.
  
  
• Real-Time Monitoring and Accountability: Biometrics offers a clear audit trail, recording who accessed specific areas or files and when. This helps create a workspace where changes and accountability are tracked by default.

2. Banking and Mobile Payments

• Fast and Secure Mobile Transactions: Fingerprints or facial recognition these days are even used to replace traditional PINs. Aside from, providing a faster and secure way to authorize payments, it also makes transactions a lot easier.
  
  
• Prevention of Fraudulent Transactions: Biometric authentication reduces the likelihood of identity theft in mobile banking. This is one-way banking makes sure that only authorized personnel or account holders can make transactions.
  
  
• Two-factor Authentication (2FA) in Banking: Biometrics combined with other authentication methods (like SMS or tokens) increase transaction security. This allows an extra layer of security through a device typically only you have access to.

3. Tracking Work Hours and Attendance

• No More "Buddy Punching": One problem companies face is colleagues punching in for each other for attendance or to inflate hours worked. With biometric authentication systems in place, employees can't clock in for each other, improving accuracy in time tracking.
  
  
• Automated Attendance Logs: With fingerprint or facial scans automatically logging employee entry and exit, errors are reduced significantly. This means a lot less need for manual adjustments and less room for incorrect entry.
  
  
• Increased Accountability: Since you need biometrics to check in during the morning and a lot of the time when accessing your office, accountability increases by default. Real-time biometric tracking holds employees accountable for their hours, ensuring compliance with work schedules.
  

4. Identification of Patients in Healthcare

• Accurate Patient Identification: Biometrics prevent mix-ups in medical records, ensuring the correct patient receives the right treatment. This can reduce the overall liability and lawsuits institutions take on due to the treatment of the wrong patient.
  
  
• Secure Access to Medical Data: Fingerprints or facial recognition can restrict access to sensitive patient files, keeping them confidential and secure. With robust MFA access governance software in place, HIPAA compliance becomes a lot easier.
  
  
• Streamlined Hospital Check-in: Biometric authentication accelerates patient check-ins and reduces wait times, improving overall efficiency. This helps streamline administrative tasks and ensure time-sensitive medical cases get attention as quickly as possible.
  

5. Authenticating the Identity of Citizens in Government Institutions

• Issuance of Government IDs and Passports: Biometric data like fingerprints and iris scans are used to authenticate individuals when issuing official documents. This creates a system for authentication that can be verified regardless of changes in location or appearance.
  
  
• Efficient Public Service Access: Citizens use biometrics to access social services, welfare programs, and government benefits securely. This prevents fraud and exploitation of social welfare schemes by unauthorized individuals and third parties.

• Secure Voting Systems: In voting systems, fake votes or usage of other citizens’ voting IDs has been an issue that arises consistently. However, with biometric authentication, you can verify voters' identities, preventing voter fraud and ensuring democracy is protected.

6. Facial and Fingerprint Recognition to Unlock Devices

• Quick Device Access: Facial recognition and fingerprint scans allow users to unlock smartphones, laptops, and tablets in seconds.
  
  
• Enhanced Security Over Passwords: Biometrics reduce the risk of stolen or easily guessed passwords, offering more robust protection against unauthorized access.
  
  
• Seamless User Experience: Facial and fingerprint access means no need to remember passwords or patterns! With biometrics providing effortless and secure access to personal devices, access is also quick. That said, this can run into some issues based on lighting and the device reading your biometrics.

7. Used to Verify Identity in e-Passports

• Streamlined Border Control: Biometric e-passports use facial or fingerprint recognition to verify identity, and can help with speeding up border crossing processes. While this can take a while to be put in place, this can in the long run create a framework that’s a lot faster and hassle-free.
  
  
• Global Standard for Travel Security: E-passports with embedded biometric data enhance international travel security by ensuring only legitimate passport holders can cross borders.

Benefits of Using Biometric Authentication

Quick and Easy Access

When it comes to quick and easy access to confidential or personal information, biometrics is probably the most straightforward answer. Unlike some quick authentication protocols, biometrics are hard to replicate and present solutions for any workplace or restricted area or information.

Improved Security and Industry Compliance

Probably the most obvious benefit, when it comes to biometrics is that it offers enhanced security through unique personal traits like fingerprints or facial recognition. While straightforward, this makes it a lot more difficult for unauthorized individuals to access systems. 

Reducing Fraud in Transactions and Government Institutions

Another benefit biometrics offers is reducing fraud in online transactions and government services by verifying the user’s true identity. Unlike passwords or PINs, which can be stolen or shared, biometric data is unique and difficult to replicate. 

Reduces Password Fatigue

With more services requiring password protection, users often face the burden of remembering multiple complex passwords. Biometric authentication removes this issue by allowing access based on physical traits, alongside removing the need for passwords altogether.

Removes the Issue of Access Codes or Passwords Being Leaked

Biometric data is not something that can be easily stolen or guessed, unlike access codes or passwords, which are prone to leaks. By using fingerprints or facial recognition, users can secure their accounts without the worry of someone gaining access through a compromised password.

Use In Multi-Factor Authentication

Biometric authentication can be integrated as a key component in multi-factor authentication (MFA) software or frameworks, adding an extra layer of security. Combining biometrics with something the user knows (password) or something they possess (security token) strengthens the overall security posture. 

Reduced Cyberattacks - Accounts Cannot be Cracked Using Traditional Methods

When it comes to cyberattacks, Biometric authentication reduces the likelihood of accounts being compromised through traditional methods such as brute force or phishing attacks. Since biometric traits like fingerprints or iris scans cannot be guessed or easily replicated, hackers cannot use typical password-cracking methods to gain access.

Are Biometrics The Best Passwordless Authentication Option?

Yes and no. Biometrics is one of the most secure ways to prevent fraud and limit access to only authorized personnel but it does have limitations.

Aside from this, there’s also the risk of biometric data being stolen from employees, customers, and the company itself. Which while rare, can present an issue where their biometric authentication is compromised forever.

That’s why, biometrics when integrated with a framework or software is a better solution to deal with this. This allows for a customized IAM or CIAM framework with OpenID connect or SAML2 which is the better idea longterm.

At Infisign, we offer these types of security protocols alongside a zero-proof framework. This means that customer information does not need to be verified every single time. Want to find out more? Why not have our team get in touch with a free trial.

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