Facial recognition technology is fast gaining acceptance across industries as one of the most reliable authentication methods today. But while many companies have implemented a biometric authentication system and maintained user privacy successfully, others still have not.
Effective Uses of Facial Recognition for Businesses
If you’re considering the integration of facial recognition into your security infrastructure, know that improper implementation may compromise your company’s security, employee trust, and your customer relations. Maximize its benefits by taking the time and implementing it correctly.
1. Remote Identity Proofing
In the age of smartphones and the internet, most of our day-to-day transactions can be done at any time and place. With just a government ID and smartphone, banks and other institutions can utilize facial recognition to authenticate identities and authorize transactions remotely.
2. Secure passwordless login on-premises or remote
Maintaining and remembering complex passwords can be a challenging ordeal, especially if your business uses different software or accounts that require different credentials. By incorporating facial technology for passwordless authentication, you can reduce login errors and eliminate the risks posed by traditional passwords.
3. Faster and more secure MFA login flow
Since strong and secure passwords are difficult to remember, people tend to reuse passwords across multiple accounts, which may compromise the security of your system. This has caused businesses to turn to facial recognition as part of their multi-factor authentication (MFA) login flow. Unlike weak and reused passwords, distinct facial features can be almost impossible to replicate, making them more secure than passwords, while also eliminating the need to remember a password..
You can also do away with authenticator applications and let users receive a push notification for facial image capture to log in. Ultimately, passwordless MFA with two highly accurate factors: your biometrics (facial image) and your access to a device (your phone) will greatly benefit your organization’s security.
Challenges to Use and Adoption
While facial recognition has undergone mainstream adoption thanks to technology such as Apple FaceID and Windows Hello, the challenges that come with integrating this technology into your system should be taken into account. Some companies have successfully incorporated facial recognition while maintaining employee and customer privacy. However, others have not, eroding trust in their technology and ultimately defeating the purpose of a more secure login method.
1. Privacy protection
People can be hesitant to have their pictures taken for facial recognition that may be stored in a database for unknown future use. There have been instances where a user is wrongly identified, leading to grave circumstances in a law enforcement use. As businesses manage massive amounts of user data, it’s essential to have the proper guidelines to ensure the wellbeing of clients. Businesses need to stay transparent on how they will collect and use data for their operations.
2. Possible system vulnerabilities and data security risks
As facial data is stored in a database, it’s important to note that they can be prone to a crippling cyber attack. Cases of data breaches have reached an all-time high in recent years as the cybersphere gains more users. It is then possible for hackers to steal these data alongside other sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords, to be used for malicious intent if tech implementation is not secure.
As such, always remember that the security of your facial recognition system is only as strong as the database where your enrollment templates are kept. If possible, don’t save facial images online and keep personal identifiable information (PII) separate from the hashed output of the facial recognition algorithm.
3. Anonymized storage if any images are stored
When utilizing facial recognition software, users should always remove PII from their biometric systems. But while eliminating PII from your database can eliminate the risk of identity theft, doing so can anonymize storage and bring out challenges during enrollment. As you partner with a reliable cybersecurity vendor, ensure that your authentication provider can deal with these constraints accordingly.
4. Transparency and consent
Privacy protection and users’ consent complement each other. In this case, being transparent about obtaining their facial data, how it is stored, and any third-party databases involved is vital in cultivating user trust.
If employees or customers find that their facial data is used in some other way, aside from the purpose they consented to, it’s a massive violation of permission and privacy
The Face of Cybersecurity
From seamless identity proofing to an optimized MFA login flow, having facial recognition in your identity and access management workflow can make your organization more secure and fend off cyberattacks.
However, rushing the implementation can backfire and lead to data privacy problems for businesses. Therefore, it’s essential to know and understand the potential challenges you may face when you’re putting together the procedures and processes.
If you’re looking to upgrade your cybersecurity, Q5id provides only the best biometric authentication system. Inquire now to know more about our proven identity app to keep your systems extra secure.
