FPC Advocates for Biometric Security in Work From Anywhere Environments

Fingerprint Cards (FPC) is once again sounding the alarm about the dangers of password-based security. In doing so, the company argued that businesses should replace passwords with biometrics in both their on-site and remote access control operations.

The call to action is a response to the record number of data breaches that occurred in April, when 143 breaches led to the exposure of more than 1 billion records. In that regard, FPC noted that the number of attacks as gone up as more businesses have transitioned to a hybrid model, and have increasingly allowed employees to work from anywhere (WFA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The problem, according to FPC, is that a WFA environment creates more risk because businesses no longer have full control of each access point. Employees can sign in from a shared Wi-Fi network at home or an unsecured one in a café, and may be doing so with a personal device that does not have all of the security features of the machines they use at the office. 

Passwords are a potential liability in each scenario. For example, a cybercriminal can watch someone type in a password when they are working in public, and devices that only have password security can be hacked if that device gets lost or stolen. As it stands, the majority (60 percent) of hacks can already be attributed to compromised credentials, making passwords one of the biggest vulnerabilities of the modern workplace.

Biometrics, on the other hand, cannot be so easily defeated. An employee cannot misplace their own fingerprint, and without it, a hacker will not be able to gain access to a system even if they do get their hands on someone’s user name. The technology can also be deployed for physical and logistical access control, providing strong security for those working onsite and for those logging in remotely. FPC noted that many smartphones, PCs, and other consumer devices now ship with default biometric features, which makes it easier for organizations to integrate biometrics into their broader security framework.

FPC has predicted that two-thirds of new PCs will come with a built-in fingerprint sensor by 2026. Biometric cards are expected to be one of the other major use cases for the technology.

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July 5, 2021 – by Eric Weiss