Understanding the Importance of Multi-Level Authentication
Most people think that passwords alone are enough to keep their accounts secure. What they miss is that hackers and cyber attackers have evolved to find various ways to bypass simple password security with advanced technology. The reality is that passwords alone are no longer sufficient, and there’s a need for better authentication to keep accounts safe.
The truth is, account security relies on using the right authentication measures at different levels. Multi-level authentication ensures that even if one level fails, the others can still provide protection.
More or less. And this is pretty much not because people do not know how to keep their passwords strong or safe but because social engineering tactics have gotten sneakier. People are tricked into entering information on phishing websites, giving it up in calls, and more - all unintentionally.
I get that this might seem like a lot. The truth is that many of these multi-level security protocols are incorporated into our daily logins already. The good news is that this multi-factor authentication works best if you’re diligent about keeping your devices secure.
Multi-factor authentication may seem unnecessary but it protects users from the chance of getting locked out of important accounts, losing access to emails and other services they use daily. It also keeps cybercriminals from gaining access through weak passwords, social engineering attacks, phishing scams or password spraying techniques - all ways in which criminals get around simple password protection today. More or less.
Level 1: Basic Username and Password Protection
A username and password are rarely often touted as the most basic form of account protection. The way I see it, these days, this form of authentication is considered one of the least secure ways to protect personal information and online accounts. And yet, they remain the most popular way to log in across the web, especially on mobile applications.
Passwords are easy to hack. Sort of. Most people use something familiar like a pet’s name or a birthday.
Or, they use really common passwords like 12345678 or password - both of which can be easily guessed using brute force hacking techniques. But, even when you do create strong passwords with a good mix of letters, numbers, and symbols, or use a passphrase instead of a single word (that doesn’t include personal info), you should know that passwords alone aren’t enough. Some platforms try to increase security by asking users to regularly change passwords and disallowing old or compromised ones from being reused.
They may also require more than 8 characters for every password and mandate the inclusion of at least one upper case character, lower case character, number, and symbol in each password combination. The reality is that while complicated combinations make it harder for hackers to brute force access into your accounts by guessing common words like qwertyuiop or iloveyou123, most people end up using one complicated password for all their online accounts. So if one account is compromised, hackers can now access every other account you own.
Since passwords are difficult to remember, many users keep them written down somewhere or in an easily accessible digital folder on their devices - this makes their job much easier since they just need access to your device before they have access to everything else.
Level 2: Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
It seems most people think having a strong password is enough. I Believe when pressed, they admit it probably isn’t. Then you ask if they’ve set up 2-factor authentication on their social media, email or even just their bank account and it’s a hard ‘no’.
It seems like here’s the thing, two-factor authentication is sort of a necessary evil in this day and age - not using it only makes us more vulnerable. The reality is that strong passwords aren’t strong anymore, not when we’re being targeted with increasingly clever scams. And all these scammers really need to break into an account today are our passwords. One way to reduce risk for yourself is generally to enable two-factor authentication, which sends you an OTP via SMS to your registered phone number or email every time you sign in.
You could also use authenticator apps or biometrics but let’s say that’s more level 2. 1.
I get why people might be hesitant about enabling 2FA; after all, SMS OTPs can be compromised as well especially if someone really wants access to your account (by SIM swapping or hacking your telecom). But it appears like most hackers aren’t really interested in you as much as they are at guessing your password because that’s easy. Two-factor authentication keeps the wrong people out and lets the right people (you) in. It’s obviously not perfect but at the end of the day, what is.
Unless you’re privy to all sorts of confidential company or government documents, chances are that 2FA does the trick and provides enough security for your accounts. At least for now.
Level 3: Biometric Authentication Methods
Now, there is a common misconception that biometric authentication can be somewhat risky and come with major privacy concerns. Most people believe that someone might be able to hack into their private information if they use their fingerprint or face to unlock their devices. But that's far from the truth.
In fact, biometric authentication is slightly often considered a more secure form of protection, which makes it popular among businesses and financial institutions. This type of authentication takes an individual's unique physical characteristics and uses them as a passcode to access information. Whether it's their fingerprints, facial features, or iris patterns, these biological features are used to identify people and grant them access to certain information. Biometric authentication offers quite a few benefits, such as faster login processes, improved convenience, reduced password fatigue, and better security.
It even allows for remote authentication as well as enhanced monitoring and tracking. Now here's where it gets a little tricky. While biometrics are virtually impossible to replicate or hack, they're not entirely foolproof. For instance, hackers have used AI tools in the past to trick fingerprint sensors into granting access to them.
That said, with major advancements in technology, biometric authentication has become stronger than ever today. But some people are still hesitant to use this method. That's because they're worried about companies storing their biometric data and exploiting it for personal gain.
But companies often have strict data protection measures in place and take full responsibility for safeguarding any sensitive user information that they might collect. As long as you take precautions and ensure your data is probably protected, you can go ahead and enable biometric authentication without having anything to worry about.
Level 4: Behavioral Authentication Techniques
It appears to be like a cool, safe way to authenticate, because your behaviour is unique right. It seems that it would be harder for hackers to bypass this and mimic how you walk, type, or even move your eyes. But that is not necessarily the case.
For one, you have to go beyond these biometrics for behaviour to make sense. There’s also the fact that your behaviour can be influenced by factors outside your control. Maybe you’ve injured yourself temporarily, maybe you are on medication that can affect the way you move, perhaps you are more stressed or more relaxed, this can really influence the way you behave and behave online. And even more than our digital twins in the world of deep fakes and AI might trick a computer into thinking someone else is behaving like you online.
All that is a little scary and confusing to consider. That’s not to say you shouldn’t consider using behaviour as another level of security. The great thing about behaviour-based authentication is that it adapts and learns with us. The integration of behaviour-based authentication with other authentication methods can be quite robust.
For example, combining multi-factor authentication with behaviour-based authentication means greater security for your digital assets. While there are drawbacks to consider in using this method by itself, paired with other methods it can offer more assurance against hackers gaining access to your accounts.
Level 5: Adaptive Authentication for Enhanced Security
Adaptive authentication. I think that’s the one security measure that everyone seems to get wrong. People tend to believe it’s simply a more intelligent version of 2FA, but it’s more than that - it’s a highly advanced authentication system that is capable of distinguishing between legitimate and malicious user logins. This means the system can fairly make real-time decisions about access requests based on various factors such as device, location, IP address, time, and even user behaviour.
A good adaptive authentication system can accurately determine how likely an access request is to be legitimate and then decide what further steps to take. Like most next-gen security measures, adaptive authentication is based on a lot of machine learning. The basic idea here is to remove the need for traditional passwords altogether and have a smart system figure out if you’re who you say you are or not. It makes the authentication process virtually unbreakable - unless there’s a flaw in the system itself, which is rarely usually very unlikely.
But unlike most security systems, adaptive authentication doesn’t put additional friction on users. Most of its work happens in the background with no visible prompts to users at all. Sometimes, this level of intelligence can get a little murky for people though. More or less.
And I don’t blame them - after all, this sounds like something straight out of science fiction. Having a self-learning security system might seem overkill or even excessive, but as threats become more advanced and sophisticated, our security needs to rise up and match them head-on. I feel that adaptive authentication is probably one of the most user-friendly advanced security systems out there because it doesn’t require additional effort from people beyond the initial setup.
And I think it can be an excellent option for businesses with larger teams or even businesses that handle extremely confidential client information (like legal or financial firms).