Have Passwords Finally Outlived their Usefulness?

Passwords have been a primary data security measure since 1960, when MIT researcher Fernando Corbató suggested the practice—although even he is reportedly slow to take full credit. Why? Well, if you ask Corbató (and his contemporaries, who were the first to implement passwords as we’d recognize them today), the security concerns were limited.

So, have we reached the point where it would be best to replace passwords as the default authentication measure?

Maybe!

Passwords are Ultimately Problematic, and It’s Our Fault

Guess what the most popular password was in 2020?

123456.

Guess what it was in 2021?

123456.

Guess what—and I wish I was making this up—it was at the beginning of 2022?

123456.

This is just one example of some pretty shameful password practices that research has shown time and again, based on data breach information.

However, we aren’t going to focus on the still very problematic and important security ramifications that passwords have. Instead, we want to focus on how passwords can actually waste a lot of time in your business.

Password Resets Monopolize Help Desk Calls

Various reports have shown that password resets are one of the most common reasons that help desks are contacted. While many people might assume that their password reset requests are a simple matter to see through, they aren’t.

Let’s walk through the process and highlight where time is potentially lost each time a password needs to be reset.

1. The user types in a password, only to have it kicked back. Whoops—they either mistyped it, or they forgot it. Either way, your user tries a few until they either lock themselves out or give up… wasting time there.
2. The user then has to reach out to the support team, where they’ll need to wait until someone is available to help them… wasting time there.
3. Once someone can assist them, they’ll need to bring the support desk up to speed…wasting time there.
4. The support desk then needs to take the time to resolve the problem.

Remember, the employee has not been able to work throughout this process, sapping productivity throughout the day. Plus, it isn’t as though the employee is thinking about this—so, when they have the means to easily set a new password, they’re going to be a little more prone to forget what they used.

In This Context, Passwordless Technologies Make More Sense

Of course, this has been just one of many reasons that passwordless authentication measures are a great option for businesses. Reach out to us to learn more about passwordless options and other cybersecurity solutions for your business. Call 603-889-0800 today.