Security News > 2023 > October > Legacy authentication leads to growing consumer frustration

Entering a password manually without any form of additional authentication was the most commonly used authentication method across the use cases tracked - including accessing work computers and accounts, streaming services, social media, and smart home devices.

"This year's Barometer data showed promising signs of shifting consumer attitudes and desire to use stronger authentication methods, with biometrics especially proving popular. That said, high password usage without 2FA worryingly reflects how little consumers are still being offered alternatives like biometrics, resulting in lingering usage," commented Andrew Shikiar, Executive Director and CMO of the FIDO Alliance.

Shikiar added: "Phishing is still by far the most used and effective cyberattack technique, which means passwords are vulnerable regardless of complexity. With highly accessible generative AI tools now offering bad actors the means to make more convincing and scalable attacks, consumers and service providers must listen to consumers and start to look at non-phishable and frictionless solutions like passkeys and on-device biometrics more readily available, rather than iterating on ultimately flawed legacy authentication like passwords and OTPs.".

Passkeys, which provide secure and convenient passwordless sign-ins to online services, have grown in consumer awareness despite still being live just over a year, rising from 39% in 2022 to 52% awareness today.

The non-phishable authentication method has been publicly backed by many big players in the industry - Google recently announced that passkeys are now available for all its users to move away from passwords and two-step verification, as has Apple, with other brands like PayPal also making these available to consumers in the last twelve months.

The negative impact caused by legacy user authentication was also revealed to be getting worse.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/10/20/legacy-authentication-consumer-frustration/