Passwordless authentication methods such as fingerprint scanners and facial recognition systems (AKA biometrics) are becoming the norm in business environments, and for good reason. They are more convenient, reduce password-related risks, and strengthen your overall security.
However, as everyone who works in an office knows, no technology works 100% of the time. But when biometric systems fail, your employees still need a secure way to access business systems without creating new cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Why do biometric authentication methods fail?
Biometric authentication is an advanced cybersecurity tool that relies on unique physical characteristics of the user to verify identity. While these systems are generally reliable, they can occasionally fail for hardware or authentication reasons.
For example, a fingerprint scanner may struggle to read a finger if it is wet, dirty, injured, or worn from physical labor. Facial recognition systems can be affected by poor lighting, camera issues, changes in appearance, or even certain accessories such as glasses and masks.
There are also several hardware and software problems that can interfere with authentication. Some of the more common causes of biometric authentication failures include:
- Damaged or dirty sensors
- Camera malfunctions
- Racial bias in facial recognition software
- Network connectivity problems
- Software/operating system incompatibilities
While these failures are often temporary, every time they happen, you lose momentum and productivity. On top of that, employees seeking a more convenient solution to address these problems may turn to less secure methods, which is why you need a secure biometric fallback.
What is a biometric fallback?
A biometric fallback is an alternative authentication method that allows your team to access systems when fingerprint, facial recognition, or other biometric methods are unavailable.
Without a fallback mechanism, your employees are stuck, locked out of critical applications, and desperately trying to get help from IT support.
Implementing a backup authentication method is not difficult, but the challenge is choosing fallback methods that maintain security while remaining practical for users. If you have a strong biometric authentication system but utilize weak backup options, you don’t have a strong biometric authentication system.
Most of your logins will be secure, but it only takes one failed login with an insecure fallback option to allow cybercriminals into your network.
What not to use as a biometric fallback
Relying on traditional fallback methods no longer provides adequate protection against today's threat landscape. Cybercriminals know them too well, and eliminating human error and social engineering risks from them is impossible.
Obsolete authentication methods to avoid include:
- Basic passwords
- Knowledge-based security questions (mother’s maiden name, etc.)
- Static PINs used indefinitely
- Unencrypted email verification links
- SMS one-time passcodes (OTPs)
These methods create opportunities for attackers to bypass otherwise strong authentication controls, and they only need one.
Secure biometric fallbacks
Fortunately, there are several authentication options that provide secure alternatives when biometrics fail.
Multifactor authentication
MFA might not be the most robust option, but it is the simplest and most cost-effective while being much more secure than the weak methods mentioned above.
With MFA, if biometrics fail, a user can verify their identity using something only they have, such as an authentication app, hardware security key, or approved push notification. Unfortunately, these can be lost or stolen as well, so this option is best for lower security environments or severely limited budgets.
Passkeys
Built on modern authentication standards, passkeys provide phishing-resistant authentication tied to trusted devices instead of people. For example, if a passkey is implemented on a workstation in your office, it doesn’t matter if the user’s password or biometrics are hacked. If anyone tries to log in on a device that does not have the passkey, they will fail.
Peer/manager approval workflow
This method is more complex, but provides higher security. With peer- or manager-approval authentication workflows, when an authentication fails, the user must enlist the help of a colleague or manager to help them.
Using automated software, the second party can approve the user’s login, typically after the request has been analyzed and declared safe by the app.
Your security is only as strong as your weakest authentication method. Contact XBASE for professional assistance with biometric authentication tools and secure fallbacks to minimize the risk of data breaches and compliance violations.