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!
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.
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.
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.
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 561-795-2000 today.