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Leadership Brief

How to Get Rid of Passwords - Today

May 14, 2020

Warwick Ashford

The IT security community has long recognized that passwords are a problem because they are easily cracked or compromised and are ultimately susceptible to human failings. This leadership brief looks how organizations can improve overall security by addressing their reliance on passwords and prepare to move to alternative authentication methods.

1 Executive Summary

Passwords are easily guessed, brute forced or stolen using techniques such as social engineering, and studies show that the majority of data breaches begin with compromised passwords. As a result, organizations are increasingly seeking to address this fundamental security risk. Organizations are also seeking to eliminate the cost and user frustration associated with password management and password resets as well as meet employee demands for more user-friendly authentication systems that are flexible and easy to use. Fortunately, there are a growing number of measures that organizations can implement to greatly reduce their reliance on passwords. This leadership brief examines those options and make recommendations on how organizations can prepare for a truly passwordless future, potentially using identity services to manage access to enterprise resources through decentralized identities.