Biometrics: the new game changer in the authentication market

A new research report from Mercator Advisory Group titled Biometrics called A New Wrinkle Changes the Authentication Landscape explains the need for multimodal biometric authentication and describes many types of biometrics available from various technology providers. Furthermore, the study reveals how biometrics technology has shifted from a primarily hardware-based solution to a software-and cloud-based solution enabled by smartphones that have become much more secure.

As criminal theft of passwords has made passwords obsolete, a new factor is required for authentication and biometrics will be that new factor. It boosts security and will prove more convenient for the consumer than passwords as biometrics transitions into a persistent identity over the next 5 to 8 years.

For persistent identity, authentication evolves into a passive trust value uniquely associated with an individual, as is being pursued by Google. Based on multiple factors, including location and passive sound (voice and ambiance) as well as facial recognition and a range of behavioural inputs, the trust value will be constantly updated.

The mobile devices can create this trust factor, and therefore it is highly likely that Apple and Google will be critical partners in consumer authentication for the majority of access control scenarios, including call centres and physical access.

Concluding, this reliance on the smartphone will help establish the FIDO (the Fast Identity Online) Standard as the appropriate architectural approach for managing authentication credentials, according to Mercator Advisory Group.