The search for the perfect digital identity is a challenge that is affecting every industry. Data breaches are making headlines every day.
Adding to that exposure of personal information is consumer security behavior. A recent survey conducted by LastPassfound that 59% of consumers reuse the same credentials across multiple websites, which only makes it easier for bad actors to attack multiple accounts with the same password.
However, the onus is not only on the consumers; everyone needs to do better to keep consumers aware of the cost of insecure practices such as password reuse. By adopting a layered approach, organizations can apply advanced technologies—like machine learning—to every transaction, every authentication workflow.
To defend digital identities, it’s crucial to create a layered approach or workflow leveraging advanced technologies powered by machine learning and passive biometrics that don’t rely on user credentials. Businesses can also use other insights like account history, consumer behavior, device intelligence, and more to protect consumer accounts. Taking these layers and combining them is key to successfully identify consumers and decide what authentication steps, if any, are needed to trigger a customized consumer experience that is often frictionless.
In short, emerging technologies like passive biometrics provide consumers a much-needed break by being an invisible line of defense to verify them. Intelligence from passive biometrics provides a frictionless user experience to most consumers. If a transaction doesn’t show signs of risk, there is no need for additional authentication or verification.
And usage of machine learning in solutions is mitigating the risk from bad actors using stolen credentials and identities.
Leveraging characteristics from individuals’ online behavior and habits provides a variety of unique identifiers that cannot be replicated by cybercriminals. This integrated approach is a way for organizations to reduce their risk, and if one identifier is compromised, another one can be used to verify the user. It also allows companies to provide a safe and satisfying experience for consumers while blocking criminal activity at the same time.
