If you have been an internet user for some time now or have done some of your business—private or official—on the internet, chances are you have several accounts spread across various platforms. As the industry leader Transmit Security explains, these platforms have password authentication protocols that require you to input your username and password to access your account, and while a strong and unique password is crucial in enhancing your online security, password-based authentication has its downside.
For both users and system administrators alike, password-based authentication is a source of annoyance, and almost no one would be upset if passwords were abolished altogether. So, what are the drawbacks of password-based authentication?
Drawbacks of Password-Based Authentication
1. Passwords Aren’t User Friendly
For enhanced online security, companies and online platforms urge their users to create random passwords that have a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Such random passwords are unfamiliar; hence, it is difficult to recall them later. To remember the passwords, users are required to use them repeatedly. However, remembering multiple passwords is tricky and even more tricky of you do not frequently login to certain accounts or platforms.
To save people from the need to remember their passwords, pseudo passwords are recommended. However, most users ignore this recommendation.
2. Passwords Can Be Cracked
Passwords aren’t secure and can easily be cracked by hackers or people close to you. Some of the factors that increase the chances of passwords being easily cracked are the use of weak passwords and sharing of login details among friends and family members. Some people write their passwords down or use the same password for several accounts due to the number of accounts requiring password authentication, making it less secure.
It is not easy to balance security and usability when it comes to password authentication. If you use a random and secure number, chances are you will forget it. If you use a memorable password, you expose yourself to account hacking.
3. Public Use and Shoulder Surfing Attack
Public places like libraries and cafes are common sites for people to access the Internet. When you visit a library or internet café, you’re bound to use passwords to log into multiple websites. This poses a host of new privacy and security concerns.
A person nearby can peek over your shoulder and see what you’re typing and the keys you are pressing on the keyboard when inputting your password. Additionally, a hacker could use a network program to snoop on the open hotspot you are using and obtain your password.
4. Storage and Encryption Problems
Password authentication necessitates the usage of a database to store user credentials such as passwords and usernames. However, storage of passwords in plain texts exposes users to attacks. If your server security is weak, unauthorized access to your database is possible. This raises the need to encrypt passwords so that they are not in the easily readable and recognizable plain text format. The encryption of passwords increases the effort and cost needed to ensure online user security.
Alternatives to Using Passwords for Authentication
Password-based authentication systems have shown they have a number of security flaws and, therefore, must be replaced with a more secure approach that is also more convenient and user-friendly. Auto-generated one-time passwords (OTPs), fingerprint scans, hardware tokens and facial recognition are increasingly viable alternatives to traditional passwords.
Passwordless authentication improves user experience by eliminating the need for cumbersome and frustrating password resets and the need to remember lengthy passwords. In addition, passwordless authentication makes it more difficult for cyber hackers to access accounts.
Passwordless authentication provides added security that prevents hackers from gaining access to your passwords, encryptions keys or login credentials during brute force cyber-attacks.
So, what are disadvantages for using a password for authentication?
As shown above, password-based authentication has numerous pitfalls contributing to online insecurity and poor user experience. To greatly reduce the negative drawbacks of password authentication and improve user experience and online security, password authentication protocols must be replaced with a more secure approach. Some of the go-to alternatives are auto-generated one-time passwords (OTPs), fingerprint scans, hardware tokens and facial recognition. Passwordless aunthentication is the future of verifying user identity in personal and business applications.