Passwords are considered a first line of defence in protecting our organisations most valuable data. However, if a password falls into the wrong hands, it can open Pandora’s box and give threat actors access to all of a company’s valuable data and files. This is supported by Verizon’s research which found that 80% of data breaches are attributed to weak or stolen passwords, meaning most breaches can be linked to password issues. This change your password day we are reminded to change our passwords to improve data security, but should we move away from passwords all together and opt for passwordless authentication to improve our security?
With hackers able to crack a simple eight-character password within 37 seconds using brute force, the ability of a password to protect an organisation from being attacked comes into question. With the cybersecurity landscape evolving, passwordless authentication has emerged as a cutting-edge solution to enhance security and streamline user access.
Passwordless authentication is an advanced security method that allows users to access systems and applications without using traditional passwords. Rather, it relies on alternative factors for user verification, such as biometrics, one-time passwords (OTPs), or hardware tokens. By moving to a passwordless approach, security teams can overcome many of the vulnerabilities associated with password-based systems such as dealing with forgotten passwords or, worse yet, having passwords fall into the wrong hands.
As cyber criminals change their approach to attack and incorporate new tools into their arsenal, organisations need to adapt their approach too, using new tools and technologies to improve their security posture and stay a step ahead. As such, should your organisation be encouraging employees to change their password this Change your Password Day or should it be changing the approach to the password and go passwordless?