Security Staff Are Adopting Biometrics But Can Do More to Eliminate the Password

Security Staff Are Adopting Biometrics But Can Do More to Eliminate the Password

A survey found that security professionals are making the move to biometrics, but that they could be doing more to protect data.

A study done at the RSA security conference last week found that security professionals are starting to switch over to biometric authentication, but that more can be done to protect data through the use of passwords.

The poll was done by Veridium Ltd., and found that nearly half of respondents said they're now using biometrics for two to three applications, but only five percent said they're now using it for seven to 10 applications. None of the security pros said they were using biometrics to authorize access to over 11 or more apps.

The survey also found that 56 percent of respondents rely on password mangers to help them remember passwords and nearly 30 percent use 21 or more passwords at any given time.

Some 41 percent of respondents who took the survey at RSA said that they would like to use biometrics the most for work, while 93 percent agreed that there should be greater legislative restrictions around biometric privacy and data.

“Results from the security audience demonstrated why we need to eliminate passwords and how biometrics can ensure consumer data privacy,” a spokesperson for Veridium said. “With password managers full of countless keyword variations and the majority of respondents putting biometrics to use only across two to three applications, there’s a need for stronger, more engrained authentication options.”

Discussing the findings and his time spent at the RSA Conference, Chief Executive Officer James Stickland said that many conversations focused on security for application programming interfaces, which should be a bigger focus in the next year.

“Security is now, more than ever, ‘identity-centric,’ focusing on the individual rather than the broader enterprise – with employees acting as the ‘perimeter of their business,’” he said. “It’s critical that organizations secure their data, implement data-driven policies and authenticate individual access to the enterprise.”

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • On My Way Out the Door

    To answer that one question I always get, at every booth visit, I have seen amazing product technology, solutions and above all else, the people that make it all work. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Live From ISC West: Day 2 Recap

    If it’s even possible, Day 2 of ISC West in Las Vegas, Nevada, was even busier than the first. Remember to keep tabs on our Live From ISC West page for news and updates from the show floor at the Venetian, because there’s more news coming out than anyone could be expected to keep track of. Our Live From sponsors—NAPCO Security, Alibi Security, Vistacom, RGB Spectrum, and DoorKing—kept the momentum from Day 1 going with packed booths, happy hours, giveaways, product demonstrations, and more. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Visiting Sin City

    I’m a recovering alcoholic, ten years sober this June. I almost wrote “recovered alcoholic,” because it’s a problem I’ve long since put to bed in every practical sense. But anyone who’s dealt with addiction knows that that part of your brain never goes away. You just learn to tell the difference between that insidious voice in your head and your actual internal monologue, and you get better at telling the other guy to shut up. Read Now

  • Return to Form

    My first security trade show was in 2021. At the time, I was awed by the sheer magnitude of the event and the spectacle of products on display. But this was the first major trade show coming out of the pandemic, and the only commentary I heard was how low the attendance was. Two representatives from one booth even spent the last morning playing catch in the aisle with their giveaway stress balls. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • ALTO Neoxx Electronic Padlock

    ALTO Neoxx Electronic Padlock

    Built to withstand all access control needs, the tough new SALTO Neoxx electronic padlock takes security beyond your expectations. 3

  • BriefCam v6.0

    BriefCam v6.0

    BriefCam has released BriefCam v6.0, which introduces the new deployment option of a multi-site architecture. This enables businesses with multiple, distributed locations to view aggregate data from all remote sites to uncover trends across locations, optimize operations and boost real-time alerting and response – all while continuing to reap the benefits of BriefCam's powerful analytics platform for making video searchable, actionable and quantifiable. 3

  • LenelS2 BlueDiamond™ mobile app

    enelS2 has introduced its Indoor Location subscription-based service for businesses and other organizations using LenelS2’s BlueDiamond™ mobile app version 2.1.8 for smartphones. 3