Secure and swift: Transitioning to a passwordless future
Passwords have been an essential part of our digital lives since time immemorial. Due to the inherent flaws of passwords, our digital lives were and will always be in danger.
If we are serious about protecting data and identities, we must transition to a passwordless future. Otherwise, we will always see ourselves being exploited by malicious actors.
There’s a need to accept the realities of the failures of passwords in protecting us today and embrace a future without the burdens of passwords. While many nurse the thoughts, it’s important to state that a passwordless future is not as disruptive as it has been made to appear. Right from the work-from-home era, several decentralized and cloud-based businesses have transitioned to this swift and secure solution.
At the pace we are moving to the passwordless future, no one deserves to be left behind. Your customers and employees deserve the best cybersecurity offers right now, and this is passwordless authentication.
You need to know that the internet was never born with passwords. It was an afterthought due to the rapid growth of the internet. The proliferation of websites and applications increased the need for security, and the option that has worked since then has become ineffective.
This piece will discuss how businesses and individuals can transition to a passwordless future.
How businesses can transition to a passwordless future
There’s no need for the back and forth on why businesses must move to a passwordless future. It’s obvious passwords have failed and are still failing right now.
As of the time you’re reading this piece, millions of passwords are being phished, brute-forced, hacked, and sold on the dark web. This happens every second, and there’s always a backdoor to exploit. The focus is on how the transition to secure passwordless authentication can be seamless without affecting any area of your business. Here are a number of approaches that can guide this switch:
1) Just another tech update
While updating your security might not be one of your business goals for the year, it can become a business emergency. This is why you need to start the year discussing the need to buff up the security of your digital assets.
To simplify it, you need to approach the switch to a passwordless authentication like it’s another technology update. Yes, removing passwords from the back end will change how work is done, but it will also mean safer and faster.
2) No need to worry about customer experience issues
There’s always a worry on the minds of IT teams as to how to navigate the issue of an employee or an end user switching to a new device. It doesn’t have to be that way. Even passwords have all of their issues, and it’s more pronounced than passwordless authentication.
When this happens, the worst is that the user cannot log in. Consider immediate alternatives such as magic links, push notifications, or a QR code if this happens. It’s possible to switch to passwordless alternatives without a customer experience nightmare.
3) Start small in your transitioning
If you want to be successful in your switch to passwordless authentication, you need to do away with the thought that passwordless is all that matters. You cannot force your users to go passwordless all at once, you will have to give them options. Better still, make them see why they are better off with passwordless authentication.
Start small. Devise a strategy that allows you to take small steps towards a passwordless future. You can test the waters and document your successes with a small move. A phased approach to your transitioning will keep things in check without causing a disruption.
4) No need to rewrite legacy apps
This is the burden of most enterprise users: the need to redesign and rewrite legacy apps. There’s no need to redesign or rewrite legacy apps. It all depends on the passwordless identity vendor you choose to use; they should be able to build custom logic around your existing legacy apps.
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel; work around your existing application.
5) Educate users and employees
Whether we want to accept it or not, switching to passwordless authentication is a massive shift and will likely throw most of your end users off balance. You cannot allow this to happen; take your time educating your employees and end users.
Let them know the reason for the shift and what they stand to benefit as end users. Please give them a good reason why you prefer to go passwordless.
The future is password less
Even a minor application update is often met with fear and apprehension. Don’t allow the resistance from your employees or end users to deter you. The future of cybersecurity is one without passwords.
If you are yet to start for this future, start preparing. Don’t allow yourself to be caught with an obsolete technology.
