We’ve all experienced the frustration of forgetting a password to a critical account and having to go through the lengthy and complicated process of retrieving it or creating a new one. With so many ever-changing guidelines on how to create a secure password, it’s becoming extremely difficult to set and manage an effective credential.  As a result, passwords are paradoxical. They require the ability to produce a string of characters that is secure enough to protect your account, yet simple enough to remember for next time. Online accounts are crucial for storing, managing, and transferring sensitive information over the internet. Businesses that give users the option to create an account are more likely to receive repeat transactions. Accounts can drastically improve their website’s user experience when an individual’s important data (such as payment and contact information) is conveniently stored on file. On the other hand, more than 30% of online shoppers will abandon their shopping carts when forced to enter a password.  These statements may seem to contradict each other at first glance. However, the simple solution here is to encourage online accounts while simultaneously eradicating the need for passwords.  That’s where passwordless authentication comes in. With passwordless login systems, you can implement a different verification method that doesn’t require users to remember a long string of characters. In fact, users can log in simply by scanning their fingerprint, entering a temporary code delivered via text message, or authorizing their accounts with email.  If you’re hesitant about implementing passwordless authentication into your website’s security protocol, we’ve put together six powerful reasons why you should explore this innovative practice: Increased Security for Users Increased Security for Organizations Better User Experience Decreased Site Abandonment Cost-Effectiveness Simple Implementation Keep reading as we discuss the many benefits of passwordless authentication— both to you as a developer, and to your end user. Let’s dive in! 1. Passwordless authentication is more secure for users. In recent years, there have been hundreds of millions of stolen or hacked passwords. As a result, passwords are becoming a larger part of the problem rather than the solution to keeping users’ information safe. Additionally, more and more websites require users to create an account, which has led to the average internet user juggling more than 90 personal online accounts. Thus, users who want to remember their login information tend to choose a password they’re comfortable with (such as their birthday or pet’s name) or credentials they’ve used for other accounts. As a result, these weakened passwords lead to even more insecure accounts. After all, if hackers get access to one account, they can easily obtain access to many, leading to a “domino effect” that puts all of the user’s information at risk. So what’s the solution? All of these challenges can be better avoided with passwordless authentication, also known as password alternatives. For starters, there are three main types of passwordless authentication systems: Email Verification — When the user selects the login button, they’ll be directed to a pre-written email that will authenticate their account. Every email has an individual token attached to it that lets the server link the request to the user and grant them access. This is the most secure of the passwordless login methods, as it builds upon the existing security measures of top email clients— which tend to be much stricter than the average website. Social Media Sign-In — Offer users the ability to log in via their existing Facebook, Twitter, or other popular social media account credentials. This reduces the number of passwords that your new users will need to create and remember, and it builds on the security measures built into the social media’s login system. Biometric Scanning — Many smartphones have already implemented fingerprint scanning in lieu of (or in addition to) passwords, and your application can potentially use the same technology for your passwordless authentication. Users simply press their thumbs on the fingerprint scanner, which is then compared against a previously stored thumbprint, to gain access. Similarly, facial and iris scanning are becoming popular alternatives as well. For a more in-depth look at these passwordless login systems, check out our guide to password alternatives. The important part is that hackers will have more difficulty gaining access to your users’ fingerprints, cell phones, or email accounts than guessing or cracking a string of alphanumeric characters. Therefore, users’ accounts will be more secure than with traditional password protection. 2. Passwordless authentication is more secure for organizations. Since you store information on your users’ accounts, payment information, and much more, your user database is significantly more vulnerable to a large-scale attack. When a data breach like this occurs, no amount of password protection will keep your users’ accounts protected. Cybercriminals can gain access to your user database by cracking the key to your encrypted information much like they would crack a password with a brute-force attack. Additionally, they could gain access by entering through an internal account with high-level permissions. Since many accounts don’t use secure credentials, this process is a lot easier for hackers than you might think. That’s why it’s not only important for your users to have passwordless authentication but also for your employees.  Thus, you can implement passwordless login systems into your internal accounts so that employees don’t have to deal with the hassle of creating and memorizing a complex password, and so that cybercriminals don’t have the liberty of quickly cracking a simple credential.  By protecting your accounts on both fronts—internally for employees and externally for users—you’ll have a much stronger infrastructure. 3. Passwordless authentication offers a better user experience. Let’s face it: the most troublesome part of creating an account is thinking of a password and remembering it for the future. So why would you want to put that frustration on your users? Giving users a simple way to access your website that doesn’t involve memorizing a lengthy string of characters is a great way to encourage your users to engage with and continuously return to your … Continue reading Passwordless Authentication: 6 Ways It’s Better for Any Site