Going Passwordless: How It Improves Enterprise Data Governance?

Enterprise data governance is the process and set of policies, procedures, and standards that drive secure data management within an enterprise. Data governance helps organizations manage various data assets better while ensuring the security of these assets to drive better digital transformation outcomes.

Many organizations are implementing a passwordless authentication system with all of this in mind. Read on to find out how passwordless authentication can improve enterprise data governance!

What Is Passwordless Authentication?

When it comes to authentication, there are many options available. The old and most simple form of authentication is the username & password login, which is still used in most cases. 

A more advanced way of logging into accounts is by using token-based systems. A single sign-on (SSO) system uses a token to access multiple services without re-inventing the wheel.

Passwordless authentication is a way of verifying the identity of a user by using something that they have rather than something that they know. And since many people are concerned about security and the safety of their data. 

However, as of 2022, weak and stolen passwords are responsible for more than 61% of all data breaches worldwide. So it’s essential to get into passwordless authentication.

Why Is Passwordless Authentication Better Than Using A Password?

Passwords are vulnerable to brute force attacks and stolen by threat hunters. It’s estimated that the average user has 200 passwords to manage, and that number will double by 2023. As a result, many passwords are weak or reused across multiple websites.

Passwordless authentication is much more secure because it uses one-time codes that can be accessed anywhere.

You don’t need to memorize a password with passwordless authentication because it does not contain letters or numbers. Instead, a user will conduct an action that authenticates their identity. 

For example, with an SMS-based login system, users just need to have their phone nearby and enter the code they receive via SMS into the required field.

What Are The Benefits Of Going Passwordless?

Gartner predicts that by 2022, 60 percent of global enterprises and 90 percent of midsize organizations will use more than 50 percent password-free methods. So let’s see some benefits of passwordless authentication.

• Effective Protection Against Phishing Passwords

Phishing trick the victim into giving up sensitive information, often a username and password. On the other hand, an attacker can buy password lists from risky services cheaply and bet that the employee will use the same password for multiple services. Such attacks are generally beyond the control of IT departments.

However, passwords can be protected by a more potent authentication agent such as an employee’s mobile phone. This will provide adequate protection against the most common types of attacks.

• User-friendly Authentication Factor

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is often used to offset the inherent insecurity of passwords. As a result, authentication is no longer based solely on what the user knows (password). It now needs something the user owns, such as a smartphone.

The problem is that MFA hurts usability. In addition to entering their username and password, the other employee must also log in using a one-time code. This is annoying, especially on a mobile device, because if you type something wrong, you have to go through the steps again.

However, going without a password is an easy alternative and more secure and user-friendly.

• Seamless User Experience

Secure authentication can be as simple as scanning your fingerprint on your smartphone. Simply put, this is a great and smooth user experience.

The solution is a combination of two things that the user can access. As a result, it’s much more potent than two-step authentication that relies on passwords – it only requires one user action.

• No More Support Needed

Organizations have taken steps to enforce complex passwords to improve security. It is difficult to remember complicated passwords and increases the number of closed accounts that need to be opened by support.

The number of password challenges to support depends on the user’s understanding of the complexity. This old solution is cumbersome for the employees. On the other hand, a password-free authentication solution increases productivity and reduces support calls.

• Increased Productivity Other Than Managing Password Rules

Organizations spend a lot of time documenting, managing, training, and ensuring compliance with the rules for using complex passwords. Staff should be familiar with the rules for formal approval. 

IT needs to ensure that password management policies are constantly updated and work across systems. Going passwordless, you don’t have to manage them, and you can spend time on more productive tasks.

Common Passwordless Use Case Example – Workforce Access to Resources

Everyday use for employees reduces the need for passwords based on user behavior. A typical pattern of behavior occurs when the same user logs on to a computer at a specific time every day. If the user continues to follow this pattern, you can gradually reduce the need for password authentication.

For example, in the first week, you can ask the user to enter a password for each entry. If user behavior remains the same, you can reduce the required password to once a day in the first month. If this pattern continues after the second month, you may only need a password once a week.

To Wrap Up Things

Going passwordless is no longer a distant reality. Passwordless authentication can help enterprises strengthen their data governance efforts. 

The benefits of passwordless include improved security, reduced support costs, and increased efficiency. It addresses the problems of traditional passwords and provides better flexibility through automation. And we hope this article helps you move to passwordless authentication.