Malicious actors are circumventing today's multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods. While helpful, two-factor authentication (2FA) using one time codes, security questions, and authenticator apps have limitations and are subject to compromise.
Any MFA is indeed better than no MFA. However, traditional MFA solutions are only as strong as their weakest link. Many authentication processes regress to a single factor when the second factor is lost.
Therefore, the need for a more robust multi-factor authentication solution is more significant than ever. And the solution to this vulnerability is adding a biometric factor to the authentication process. But before we dive into the benefits of using face biometrics for multi-factor authentication, let's cover some basics of MFA.
Multi-factor authentication, also known as MFA, is the verification of a user's identity with multiple credentials for enhanced security. By using more than one credential, MFA offers greater protection against the risks associated with password-based login. Two-factor authentication, or two-step authentication, which many users are familiar with, is a specific type of MFA that involves using two separate factors to verify a user's identity.
Typically, MFA involves a combination of two or more of the following authentication factors:
By requiring multiple forms of identification, MFA increases the difficulty for an attacker to authenticate successfully, as they would need to know the user's password, possess their security token, and be able to mimic their biometric features.
Using two authentication factors, mainly when one is a password, can protect against account takeovers (ATO). MFA can also help maintain account security even when one factor is compromised. However, despite these benefits, MFA can introduce user experience issues by increasing login friction due to extra steps and vulnerability to cyberattacks.
A survey shows that 63% of consumers are more likely to shop on a website that offers MFA, but only if it does not negatively impact the user experience. In 2022, 69.99% of consumers abandoned online shopping carts due to security concerns.
While keeping customers' data safe is essential, the added friction of the MFA solution can make the process more cumbersome for users, potentially leading to decreased adoption.
This highlights the importance for organizations to balance security and user experience when implementing a multi-factor authentication solution. The best way to do this is to implement face biometrics for multi-factor authentication, where Trust Stamp's biometric MFA solution comes in.
Liveness detection is a critical component of biometric authentication because it helps to ensure that the face biometric data being used belongs to a live person (physically present) and not a pre-recorded image or video.
Liveness detection uses various techniques, such as analyzing facial expressions, head movements, and blinking, to confirm that the biometric data belongs to a live person. These techniques can detect subtle differences between a live person, a photograph, a video, or other presentation attacks, making it much more difficult for attackers to bypass the Biometric MFA system.
Trust Stamp's Biometric MFA creates a token based on a user's facial biometric. This simple step replaces and/or supplements one-time passcodes, challenge questions, and authenticator apps. Biometric multi-factor authentication accomplishes two things:
Trust Stamp's Irreversibly Transformed Identity Token ("IT²") distinguishes legitimate clients from malicious actors through the facial comparison without storing sensitive PII or biometric templates. Once created, IT²s are irreversible and revocable, mitigating the risk of hacking or data breaches, protecting customer privacy, and allowing data sharing between institutions.
Face biometrics offer significant advantages, including:
Traditional multi-factor authentication solutions are cumbersome and untrustworthy, leaving room for security breaches. Email and one-time passcodes can be easily hacked if a fraudster has access to a person's device.
Adding a third inherence authentication factor in the authentication process can significantly improve security and user experience and mitigate data breaches, identity theft, and fraud. Trust Stamp's Biometric MFA is a cutting-edge solution that perfectly balances security and user experience.
Protect your business and customers by contacting Trust Stamp about adding Biometric MFA to your authentication process today.