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World Economic Forum says passwords are past-it
NEWS/COMMENT ...Continued from page 3 Met Police: using facial recognition to counter violence, gun and knife crime.
The Met Police said of the technology: “It will help tackle serious crime, including violence, gun and knife crime, child sexual exploitation and help protect the vulnerable.” Assistant police commissioner Nick Ephgrave added: “This is an important development for the Met and one which is vital in assisting us in bearing down on violence. As a modern police force, we have a duty to use new technologies to keep people safe in London. Independent research has shown that the public support us in this regard. “We are using a tried-and-tested technology, and have taken a considered and transparent approach to arrive at this point. Similar technology is already widely used across the UK, in the private sector. Ours has been trialled by our technology teams for use in an operational policing environment.” Last October the ICO concluded an investigation into how UK police forces have used LFR in public places. It found public support for the technology, but the ICO told police they needed to improve how they deployed the technology to retain public confidence and address privacy concerns. The ICO says the Met has incorporated this advice into its current rollout. It added: “This is an important new technology with potentially significant privacy implications for UK citizens. We reiterate our call for the Government to introduce a statutory and binding code of practice for LFR as a matter of priority. Facial recognition remains a high priority for the ICO and the public. We have several ongoing investigations. We will be publishing more about its use by the private sector later this year.” One system currently under investigation is the use of cameras by the company running London’s Westfield shopping centre.
authentication
World Economic Forum says passwords are past-it
T
he World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for a complete end to the use of passwords, in a policy paper released at its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland last month. The report, ‘Passwordless Authentication: The next breakthrough in secure digital transformation’, features input from biometric tech companies including HYPR, Nok Nok Labs and Onfido. 12
Biometric Technology Today
It points out cyber-crime is set to cost the global economy $2.9 million every minute in 2020 and some 80% of these attacks are password-related. In response, the WEF is calling for passwordless authentication. Its report, produced in collaboration with the FIDO Alliance, sets out five top passwordless authentication technologies, ready for implementation by global companies. They are biometrics, behavioural analytics, zeroknowledge proofs, QR codes and security keys. It also highlights multi-factor FIDO authentication as a ready-to-use alternative to passwords. The WEF says: “Freeing ourselves of passwords will actually make us safer and businesses more efficient. Passwordless authentication does not mean removing all security barriers to our digitalised society. It means harnessing tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to save users time and save company money.” Adrien Ogee, WEF’s project leader for cybersecurity, said: “With the growing availability of biometrics and next-generation technology, consumers are demanding a better digital experience while wanting to be secure online. Better authentication practices are not just possible, they are a necessity.”
FIDO Alliance executive director Andrew Shikiar added: “Relying on passwords as the primary means for authentication no longer provides the security or user experience that consumers demand. The path forward is with standardsbased, cryptographically secure authentication that keeps login info secure and private, while providing a fundamentally better user experience.” The WEF’s paper concludes: “The future of authentication will take many paths, but the immediate journey for businesses to embark on leaves passwords behind. “As the first contact with customers, authentication is the competitive differentiator in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But user experience is not all that passwordless authentication has to offer. New internet standards are giving platform businesses ubiquitous authentication at a fraction of the cost, allowing for multinational expansion while faring much better on the security front. “If passwordless authentication is indeed the next step, it is not an end unto itself. A sound authentication system should build on a long-term vision to foster security, privacy, sustainability, user experience, scalability and inclusiveness.”
COMMENT In a memorable phrase, financial data provider Equifax has predicted that biometrics is going to go ‘box office’ this year. The main reason is the continued global rise in identity fraud. Equifax quotes a 2019 Cifas survey that highlights this, and says it’s increasingly easy for fraudsters “to escape below the radar”. Which is where biometric technology comes into play. As “the strongest form of authentication”, biometrics is best placed to both stem the tide of fraud losses and offer a sleeker customer experience, Equifax says. As a result, it predicts biometrics will experience rapid growth throughout 2020. Keith McGill, the company’s head of Fraud & ID, said: “The biometrics industry has been at a crossroads, with verification technology solutions until now viewed as a roadmap item for many businesses. But as it enters the mainstream we expect adoption rates to accelerate.” McGill said biometrics will also play a central role in the multi-factor SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) regulatory requirements coming into force in 2021, which will add an extra layer of security to payment processes, such as fingerprint verification. “There’s no doubt that businesses must take increasing precautions to protect
consumers, so expect biometrics to have a more hands-on role in the fight against identity theft,” he said. Equifax also pointed out that people are increasingly happy to do away with PINs and passwords and use biometrics to open their smartphones. But said McGill: “The challenge for businesses is crafting optimal deployment routes to harness this potential.” Equifax’s highly positive view was echoed at the recent mega Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (see our report, page 10). Professionals there noted the rapidly rising use of biometrics in everyday consumer electronic, smart home and security products. “Facial recognition and edge-based AI are quickly becoming some of the market’s hottest technologies,” said CyberLink CEO Dr Jau Huang. “Smart home devices are an extremely hot topic at CES this year,” said Orbbec CEO David Chen. “The ability for AI-enabled devices to see and recognise the world around them is changing scores of industries.” Once again, the privacy fears stoked by the use of facial recognition surveillance – reflected in many of this issue’s news stories – are balanced by the undoubted ‘box office’ appeal of biometric technology in creating smarter devices and preventing crime. Tim Ring
February 2020
The Met Police said of the technology: “It will help tackle serious crime, including violence, gun and knife crime, child sexual exploitation and help protect the vulnerable.” Assistant police commissioner Nick Ephgrave added: “This is an important development for the Met and one which is vital in assisting us in bearing down on violence. As a modern police force, we have a duty to use new technologies to keep people safe in London. Independent research has shown that the public support us in this regard. “We are using a tried-and-tested technology, and have taken a considered and transparent approach to arrive at this point. Similar technology is already widely used across the UK, in the private sector. Ours has been trialled by our technology teams for use in an operational policing environment.” Last October the ICO concluded an investigation into how UK police forces have used LFR in public places. It found public support for the technology, but the ICO told police they needed to improve how they deployed the technology to retain public confidence and address privacy concerns. The ICO says the Met has incorporated this advice into its current rollout. It added: “This is an important new technology with potentially significant privacy implications for UK citizens. We reiterate our call for the Government to introduce a statutory and binding code of practice for LFR as a matter of priority. Facial recognition remains a high priority for the ICO and the public. We have several ongoing investigations. We will be publishing more about its use by the private sector later this year.” One system currently under investigation is the use of cameras by the company running London’s Westfield shopping centre.
authentication
World Economic Forum says passwords are past-it
T
he World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for a complete end to the use of passwords, in a policy paper released at its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland last month. The report, ‘Passwordless Authentication: The next breakthrough in secure digital transformation’, features input from biometric tech companies including HYPR, Nok Nok Labs and Onfido. 12
Biometric Technology Today
It points out cyber-crime is set to cost the global economy $2.9 million every minute in 2020 and some 80% of these attacks are password-related. In response, the WEF is calling for passwordless authentication. Its report, produced in collaboration with the FIDO Alliance, sets out five top passwordless authentication technologies, ready for implementation by global companies. They are biometrics, behavioural analytics, zeroknowledge proofs, QR codes and security keys. It also highlights multi-factor FIDO authentication as a ready-to-use alternative to passwords. The WEF says: “Freeing ourselves of passwords will actually make us safer and businesses more efficient. Passwordless authentication does not mean removing all security barriers to our digitalised society. It means harnessing tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to save users time and save company money.” Adrien Ogee, WEF’s project leader for cybersecurity, said: “With the growing availability of biometrics and next-generation technology, consumers are demanding a better digital experience while wanting to be secure online. Better authentication practices are not just possible, they are a necessity.”
FIDO Alliance executive director Andrew Shikiar added: “Relying on passwords as the primary means for authentication no longer provides the security or user experience that consumers demand. The path forward is with standardsbased, cryptographically secure authentication that keeps login info secure and private, while providing a fundamentally better user experience.” The WEF’s paper concludes: “The future of authentication will take many paths, but the immediate journey for businesses to embark on leaves passwords behind. “As the first contact with customers, authentication is the competitive differentiator in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But user experience is not all that passwordless authentication has to offer. New internet standards are giving platform businesses ubiquitous authentication at a fraction of the cost, allowing for multinational expansion while faring much better on the security front. “If passwordless authentication is indeed the next step, it is not an end unto itself. A sound authentication system should build on a long-term vision to foster security, privacy, sustainability, user experience, scalability and inclusiveness.”
COMMENT In a memorable phrase, financial data provider Equifax has predicted that biometrics is going to go ‘box office’ this year. The main reason is the continued global rise in identity fraud. Equifax quotes a 2019 Cifas survey that highlights this, and says it’s increasingly easy for fraudsters “to escape below the radar”. Which is where biometric technology comes into play. As “the strongest form of authentication”, biometrics is best placed to both stem the tide of fraud losses and offer a sleeker customer experience, Equifax says. As a result, it predicts biometrics will experience rapid growth throughout 2020. Keith McGill, the company’s head of Fraud & ID, said: “The biometrics industry has been at a crossroads, with verification technology solutions until now viewed as a roadmap item for many businesses. But as it enters the mainstream we expect adoption rates to accelerate.” McGill said biometrics will also play a central role in the multi-factor SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) regulatory requirements coming into force in 2021, which will add an extra layer of security to payment processes, such as fingerprint verification. “There’s no doubt that businesses must take increasing precautions to protect
consumers, so expect biometrics to have a more hands-on role in the fight against identity theft,” he said. Equifax also pointed out that people are increasingly happy to do away with PINs and passwords and use biometrics to open their smartphones. But said McGill: “The challenge for businesses is crafting optimal deployment routes to harness this potential.” Equifax’s highly positive view was echoed at the recent mega Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (see our report, page 10). Professionals there noted the rapidly rising use of biometrics in everyday consumer electronic, smart home and security products. “Facial recognition and edge-based AI are quickly becoming some of the market’s hottest technologies,” said CyberLink CEO Dr Jau Huang. “Smart home devices are an extremely hot topic at CES this year,” said Orbbec CEO David Chen. “The ability for AI-enabled devices to see and recognise the world around them is changing scores of industries.” Once again, the privacy fears stoked by the use of facial recognition surveillance – reflected in many of this issue’s news stories – are balanced by the undoubted ‘box office’ appeal of biometric technology in creating smarter devices and preventing crime. Tim Ring
February 2020