A majority of consumers who participated in a recent study said that if they had their druthers, they would prefer account logins that do not require passwords. According to a study conducted in April 2018 by research firm Blink and authentication technology company Trusona, over 70% of consumers would opt for alternative authentication logins rather than traditional usernames and passwords, reflecting the evolution of user behavior with regard to password practices.
Between 1 April and 21 April, 148 people took part in the study. Without knowing the full extent of what information was being collected on them, consumers agreed to participate and interacted with a gift-idea–generation site. They were required to log in to the site three times a week, but they were given two different login options, “easy” and “classic.” The classic login required entering a username and password, while the easy option allowed customers to log in with alternative authentication factors that did not require a username and password.
“Because of the masked nature of this study, careful consideration needed to be made in designing the study and methodology to ensure participants were not aware of the actual purpose of the study,” the report stated. For the purposes of this use case, the end customer already had the Trusona Gifts service app installed and had a username and password for the service.
Of the total participants, 84% chose easy at least once, while only 47% chose classic at least once. There were a combined total of 1,704 login attempts, with 1,331 being successful, indicating a 78% successful login rate. “Among Classic logins, there were 370 failed attempts out of 847 total attempts to log in for a success rate of 56%,” the report said.
“This report shows that consumers are ready to move beyond passwords and usernames to more secure authentication methodologies,” said Robert Capps, VP and authentication strategist for NuData Security. “Using a multilayered authentication framework that combines behavioral analytics with biometrics allows companies to verify users accurately without adding unnecessary friction and detect any unauthorized activity before it enters the environment."
“Multilayered solutions that include these technologies analyze hundreds of data points throughout a session and create an evolving profile of a user across the sessions," Capps continued. "Passive biometrics and behavioral analytics are technologies that can provide this level of monitoring without adding friction to legitimate users, thus creating more convenient experiences for users.”