With the growing demand for eCommerce, crypto wallets, and various other services, along with the amount of time people prefer to spend on the internet. It has become a necessity for all businesses to pay attention to the customers’ security.
There are many ways by which the required security can be availed, and when it comes to online customers, it can be done by implementing authentication methods. Once alternative authentication methods are provided, they can make the site more secure. Still, it will also give the customers satisfaction when they know that the information provided by them is safe and cannot be accessed by hackers or troublemakers.
Below are some of the popular authentication methods that can be considered for a safer and better experience that a site can provide to its customers.
The 6 Most Prevalent Authentication Methods
- Password Or Pin Authentication
The first and most common authentication method is a password, PIN, and username. There was a time when using passwords was good enough as security. That has, however, changed drastically in the past decade.
Simply using a password is no longer a viable way to secure accounts. It is the easiest method among all authentication types but similarly easy for hackers to decode. This is because of several reasons. People tend to use passwords that they already use on multiple websites. Sometimes for an easier login process, people also have been found to use common words or personal info that is easily found from their info.
The mentioned problems frequently occur, primarily because people need help remembering multiple passwords for multiple accounts. That makes them think of either the same passwords on multiple websites or easy passwords that are more convenient to remember.
The sole downfall to using this method is that customers can become victims of phishing and brute-force attacks. To prevent this problem, companies need to restrict customers from reusing passwords through implied password policies. Another way is to ensure that passwords need to be changed at regular intervals and the complexity of the passwords used needs to be increased.
- Two-Factor/Multi-Factor Authentication
The problems associated with password authentication can be resolved by introducing an additional authentication process. Multiple authentication processes can be applied to increase the security level. The authentication can be a biometric authentication using fingerprints, face recognition, or a one-time password sent to the customer’s email-id or mobile device.
The second authentication factor can be an out-of-band authentication, which means that the second factor is completely authenticated on a different device than the one the customer uses to log in. This ensures that there are no middle-man attacks on acquiring the customer’s login details.
The overall strength of a two-factor authentication depends on the second factor. Using biometrics or push notifications, companies can prevent customers from being attacked because it is harder to breach, for which they can hire app developers, India and make the process easier.
- Token-Based Authentication
With token-based authentication, customers can log in using their smartphones, security cards, or smart cards. Token-based authentication can be used as a multi-factor authentication method or to provide users with a passwordless experience.
The significant advantage of token-based authentication is that customers can log in using it for a predefined period without having to log in again and again. Hackers find it difficult to breach through token-based authentication. That is because for them to procure any login information, they would need access to the token as well as the credentials of the customer to infiltrate the account.
Customers must be aware that they need to keep access to the token every time they log in or risk being locked out of their accounts. Companies should ensure that they have a re-login procedure in case any customer forgets their token or loses it.
There are 3 types of authentication tokens:
- Connected: This requires a physical item such as a key, disc, or drive to be plugged into the system for grant access.
- Contactless: This type is applicable when the device is not plugged into the system but is close enough for the server to identify.
- Disconnected: In this type of authentication token, the device can access the system anywhere.
No matter which type of token is used, users will have to enter a password or answer a question before using the authentication token.
- Biometric Authentication
Biometric authentication is a method used to recognize the user based on their identities, which are different for everyone. This identification method can never be easily stolen as it verifies whether the user trying to log in owns the account.
The uniqueness of biometric identifiers makes it difficult for hackers to get in. Some of the most common biometric authentication methods are:
- Fingerprint authentication: It uses the users’ fingerprints to verify their ownership and authenticity.
- Facial recognition: It is a method by which authentication is done by recognizing the user’s facial features.
- Iris recognition: Authentication is done by scanning the user’s iris with infrared and then comparing it to the saved profile.
- Behavioral recognition: This method authenticates the user by recognizing how the user handles the device, types, or walks.
Biometrics is quite a familiar concept for users nowadays because of the feature being used in almost all mobile devices, such as the Apple Touch ID and Face ID, or the fingerprint scanners in almost all android devices. Businesses and phone companies use this method for its quicker and more efficient because users no longer need to waste their time remembering the password.
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
With the help of the Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication method, customers can sign in to multiple apps or websites using a single set of credentials. For this, the user needs to have an account with an identity provider or an IdP, which the application or the service provider trusts.
In such cases, the service provider does not save any password, but the IdP, with the help of tokens or cookies, informs the site or application that the user has been successfully verified. The most significant advantage of a Single Sign-On is that customers are not required to remember a bunch of passwords for multiple websites or applications. That enhances and strengthens security.
Single Sign-On can be implemented easily when companies hire app developers to improve the customer’s overall user experience. They only need to log in to some accounts whenever they need access if they have recently authenticated to the identity provider.
- Authentication Based On Certification
Certificate-based authentication is a method in which digital certificates issued by a certificate authority and public key cryptography are used to verify the user’s identity. The customer only requires the private key, which is stored virtually. The digital certificate stores the identity information and public key.
Certificate-based authentication uses Single Sign-On, which companies can create, manage and revoke certificates as required. Most companies prefer this option in cases where they need to provide temporary credentials without hassle.
The significant advantage of certificate-based authentication is that the users possess a private key that cannot be phished, guessed, or socially engineered, unlike password-based authentication, where authentication is done purely on what the users know.
The only downside to certificate-based authentication is that it can be relatively costlier and takes time to deploy. Companies are also required to have a re-enrolment process through which they can help their customers in case they are unable to access their keys.
Conclusion
With the emergence of different security threats, tech giants and developers, in particular, have been looking at potential possibilities as substitutes for passwords. There was a time when a simple password was enough to secure an account. Customers have also become aware of such dangers and, more often than not, look at the security levels of a company before putting in their personal
Companies can make an informed decision on which authentication process they want to provide their customers, considering the pros and cons of all the authentication processes. Choices for companies are limited to the authentication mentioned above methods. However, continuous research is being done to develop a flawless authentication mechanism.
Author Bio:
Prashant Pujara is the CEO of MultiQoS Technologies, top Android App Development Company In India with experience in on demand Marketplace App Development Solutions where you can hire app developer for your business. He oversees the company’s commercial and delivery operations, as well as strategic planning and strategy.