Biometrics and Cybersecurity

What Impact will Biometrics have on Cybersecurity ?

In the future, from the Shadow of a Doorway, biometrics will play an increasingly significant role in cyber security due to their unique ability to authenticate individuals based on physical or behavioural characteristics. Consequently, consider these aspects of biometrics might impact cybersecurity:

Strong Authentication: Biometrics offer a more robust authentication method compared to traditional passwords or PINs. Technologies like fingerprint scans, iris scans, facial recognition, and even behavioural biometrics (like typing patterns or mouse movements) can provide stronger authentication, making it harder for unauthorised users to access sensitive information.

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): Biometrics can enhance MFA by adding an additional layer of security beyond something you know (password) or something you have (like a token or smartphone). Combining biometrics with other authentication factors can significantly increase security and reduce the risk of unauthorised access.

Reduced Dependency on Passwords: Passwords are inherently vulnerable to various attacks such as brute force, phishing, and dictionary attacks. Biometrics can reduce reliance on passwords or even replace them altogether, mitigating many of the security risks associated with password-based authentication.

Continuous Authentication: Biometric authentication can enable continuous monitoring of user activity to ensure that the authenticated user remains the same throughout the session. This helps prevent unauthorised access in cases where an authenticated session is hijacked by an attacker.

Enhanced User Experience: Unlike passwords or PINs, which users often forget or struggle to remember, biometrics offer a more seamless and user-friendly authentication experience. This can lead to increased adoption of security measures and better compliance with security protocols.

Challenges and Risks: Despite their advantages, biometrics also pose certain challenges and risks, such as privacy concerns, potential for spoofing or biometric data theft, and the difficulty of revoking compromised biometric identifiers. Addressing these challenges will be crucial for the widespread adoption of biometric-based security systems.

Accordingly, biometrics hold great promise for enhancing cyber security in the future by providing stronger, more user-friendly authentication methods that can better protect sensitive information and digital assets. However, it will be essential to implement appropriate safeguards and privacy protections to ensure that biometric technologies are deployed securely and responsibly.