Larry Ellison Calls Use of Passwords ‘Ridiculous’, Announces Pivot to Biometric Authentication

Larry Ellison has joined the chorus of tech leaders calling for an end to passwords. Speaking at Oracle CloudWorld 2024 last week, he said the ongoing use of passwords “is a ridiculous idea,” and positioned biometric authentication as a far superior alternative.

“You point your smartphone at your face for a couple of seconds, or you put your fingerprint on a sensor,” he said.

Ellison is a co-founder of Oracle, where he serves as chief technology officer (CTO) and chairman. Known for his bold vision and outspoken nature, he remains a key figure in Oracle’s strategy, particularly in cloud computing.

Oracle CloudWorld is his firm’s annual conference showcasing its latest cloud technologies, software innovations, and services, while offering keynotes, workshops, and networking opportunities for industry professionals and customers. It serves as a platform for Oracle to unveil major product updates and strategic initiatives.

One of those initiatives is to eliminate the use of passwords internally at Oracle within the next year. Ellison did not name a specific alternative, but clearly alighted on biometrics as the key mechanism for authentication.

Externally, Oracle already offers a Biometric Authentication Service that provides secure user authentication using fingerprint scanning hardware and specialized software. The service is integrated into various Oracle products, including Oracle Enterprise Manager and Oracle Time and Labor, enhancing security and streamlining user management processes.

The company has also developed an identity platform (“IPtoki”) that uses machine learning and blockchain to manage biometric identities.

Given Oracle’s significant influence in the database and business software markets, its expanding use of biometrics is likely to drive wider adoption of these technologies in enterprise settings.

Source: Baseline

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September 19, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy and Alex Perala