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What Is Passwordless Authentication?

Passwords are our oldest form of digital security… and, in most cases, one of the weakest links in identity management and authentication. Phishing, database breaches, and poor digital hygiene have made authentication challenging for security and compliance. They have become the quintessential keys to our online kingdoms.

As cyberattacks grow more sophisticated, there’s a mounting urgency to move beyond traditional passwords. That’s where passwordless authentication comes in. But how does this new approach to technology work in terms of compliance and regulations?

This article will discuss passwordless authentication, its benefits, and how it fits your compliance requirements. 

What is Passwordless Authentication?

Passwordless authentication is a method of identity verification that allows users to access their accounts without entering a password. Instead of relying on something the user “knows” (like a password), it leverages other authentication factors–namely ownership (like a mobile device, email account, or another piece of hardware), inherence (biometric data), or even other factors like geolocation. 

Passwords are a weak spot in authentication security for various reasons:

These issues lead to a vulnerability against phishing and complex database attacks. The shift to passwordless eliminates these issues by removing the need for a password. This shift doesn’t just add another layer of security (like multi-factor authentication) but fundamentally changes the way authentication occurs by omitting a weaker factor.

There are several methods that providers can use to support passwordless authentication, including:

In each of these methods, the common denominator is eliminating the traditional static password, replacing it with a more dynamic and often more secure means of authentication. 

 

Benefits of Passwordless Authentication

There are many ways to remove the need for a password to benefit an organization’s security profile. There are also several instances where eliminating passwords makes sense for usability and accessibility. 

Some of these benefits include:

 

Potential Challenges and Concerns

As promising as passwordless authentication sounds, it has challenges and potential drawbacks. Many of these issues stem from more advanced privacy, adoption, and accessibility concerns that, unfortunately, aren’t present with vanilla passwords. 

Passwordless authentication challenges include:

 

Can Organizations Maintain Compliance with Passwordless Solutions?

Passwordless authentication can be utilized while maintaining compliance with most regulations. When implemented correctly, passwordless authentication can enhance an organization’s security posture and help meet certain regulatory requirements for secure access and data protection. That said, the specific manner of implementation and the solution details can impact your compliance depending on your industry and regulations.

However, certain regulations have stringent requirements for authentication methods, and any solution, passwordless or otherwise, must align with these criteria. Here’s how passwordless authentication interacts with a few notable regulations:

 

Vet Your Authentication Services with Continuum GRC

In a world where data breaches make headlines and user experience is paramount, the shift toward passwordless authentication is not just a trend but an advantage. You’ll still need to manage such solutions within your organization and security requirements… and for that, you’ll want Continuum GRC.

Continuum GRC is a cloud platform that can take something as routine and necessary as regular vulnerability scanning and reporting under FedRAMP and make it an easy and timely part of business in the public sector. We provide risk management and compliance support for every major regulation and compliance framework on the market, including:

And more. We are the only FedRAMP and StateRAMP Authorized compliance and risk management solution worldwide.

Continuum GRC is a proactive cyber security® and the only FedRAMP and StateRAMP Authorized cybersecurity audit platform worldwide. Call 1-888-896-6207 to discuss your organization’s cybersecurity needs and find out how we can help your organization protect its systems and ensure compliance.

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