March 2020 will forever be remembered as the month when the world changed. Within days, the COVID-19 virus closed borders, shut down businesses and forced people to stay home. The virus also brought with it another threat: cyber security threats. Between January and March 2020, attacks on Internet-exposed RDP ports increased from 3 million to 4.5 million. Companies around the world have also faced an increase in attempted security breaches since March. These breaches are made possible by the increase in teleworking, for which most companies were unprepared, and the global attention paid to the pandemic, which hackers have exploited in hacking and phishing attempts. The way the world functioned before the pandemic changed forever. As we begin to emerge from the worst part of the pandemic, businesses and individuals will refocus their efforts on safety and security in the future.
Biometric Security
For the home, personal devices and especially business accounts, biometrics has quickly become the standard for increased security. Because biometrics depend on who the user is by using their unique fingerprints or facial structure, they are much more secure than simple password authentication. The process of hacking an account using biometrics is long and complicated, as the hacker has to do more work than guessing characters or an important phrase. They must have exact replicas of a person’s fingerprint or face. This used to be easy: hackers could use high-quality photos or videos to fool facial recognition systems. For fingerprints, they could create molds or copies of the print to spoof the systems. Fortunately, most biometric security has become increasingly sophisticated. Vividness detection and 3D facial recognition have been implemented for facial recognition technology to ensure that the data comes from a real person at that moment in time. This prevents hackers from using replicas, photos, videos or data injected from a stolen database. In addition, it can do more than just instantly protect at the moment of connection, but permanently secure all ongoing activities. It may not be completely foolproof, but it is much harder and longer to break.
Another advantage of biometric security is its ease of use. Although companies may appreciate the security of biometric technology, 70% of Americans also opt for biometrics because they are easier to use. To secure passwords, they must be unique and increasingly complicated. They must also be reset at regular intervals. For the average user, this could mean remembering unique passwords for many different accounts, each with its own character requirements. The use of biometric security reduces the amount of passwords each user has to remember, while maintaining an even higher level of security. It also reduces the time spent logging on to accounts, as biometric authorization can take a few seconds to activate.
Contactless
Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced many people and companies to reconsider biometric technology. Because the COVID-19 virus spreads easily through points of contact, fingerprint scanners can quickly become a source of infection, especially in public spaces. Offices and ATMs contain many points of contact and keeping surfaces clean is almost impossible. Unfortunately, these high-traffic areas are also frequently the areas that would benefit most from increased security. Revenues from the biometric devices market are expected to decline by $2 billion this year due to public fears about the virus and perceived risks on public surfaces. At the same time, revenues and investments in facial recognition are expected to increase, especially for identification and surveillance systems.
Fingerprint identification is based exclusively on contact points, where a scanner can scan a user’s finger that has been entered as a verification form. For maximum accuracy, a person must touch the scanner, which may also have been touched by thousands of other people. But when it comes to contact points, everyday actions such as opening doors or getting money are also problematic. Many people will touch the door handles of public buildings or the buttons and screens of cash machines throughout the day. Eliminating biometrics is not the answer. Instead, facial recognition can be implemented in almost any scenario that previously used pins, badges, FOBs or fingerprints. Users can stand in front of a facial scanner instead of touching potentially contaminated surfaces, and the scanner can detect who they are and what they are authorized to do. These systems can be used to unlock accounts, open secure areas and help users move their day around safely.
Other pandemic fears can also be managed through facial recognition. Because of the potential spread of COVID-19 through breathing or coughing, people have been told to stay a safe distance from others and to wear masks. With facial recognition, users will not have to worry about this as no one will be forced to touch or come in contact with the facial scanner. Increasingly sophisticated technology is also taking care of people who will want to wear masks. Modern facial recognition software uses 3D scans and depth perception to recognize the user, which means that masks or lighting cannot darken the face enough to incorrectly deny or allow access. Depth perception increases safety, but it also allows people to move around safely because people depend on masks to reduce the spread of disease.
