A Future Without Passwords

Experts predict that within the next five years passwords will be replaced with the ever-evolving technology of today’s world. An advisory chief information security officer for the security firm Duo stated “We are moving into a world which we’re calling passwordless, which is the ability for our applications, devices, and computers to recognize us by something other than the old-fashion passwords,”.

Passwords

On average, people have around 85 passwords to keep track of, a remarkable growth from when we started out with just a handful of passwords used for things such as email access, and e-commerce sites. Think about it, daily life demands passwords for everything that we do, opening our electronic devices, paying bills, ordering food. Our existence is stored in a “cloud” including personal photos, financial information, and more, making it easier and easier for hacker and identity thieves.

Eliminating Passwords

Experts have been tossing around the idea for years but have never delivered on promises to eliminate passwords. With passwords now being easily compromised through data breaches, malware, and social engineering, people are relying less and less on passwords. Although ditching passwords overnight is nearly impossible, as companies are looking for solutions that bring both convenience and security.

Security

With passwords less reliable, experts are exploring several factors to not only verify identity, but to ensure security along the way. Apple and Google services allow users to unlock their devices with a fingerprint or facial recognition, but experts state that password protection will be much more in depth, as single factor authentication is not secure enough. Instead of just using a fingerprint, machines will also analyze our speech patterns, movements, habits, and behavior.

Studies suggest that by 2023, 30% of organizations will be using a one form of authentication that does not involve a password. Eliminating passwords will take time to perfect but creating more foolproof ways to help protect individual’s security will be well worth it.