7 Reasons to Use Passwordless User Auth for Ruby
Ruby is a dynamic open-source programming langauge that supports multiple programming paradigms. A perfect choice for any type of web and app project. However, when setting up logins on your Ruby app, you shouldn’t consider password-based authentication due to growing security breaches.
Instead, we recommend passwordless user authentication. A way to verify user identity without letting them manually enter their passwords. This article covers 7 reasons why you should opt for passwordless user auth for your Ruby project:
1- Alleviates Strain from IT Administration
Human fallibility is an undeniable factor in the realm of cybersecurity.
Alarming statistics, such as Microsoft’s discovery of over 44 million users reusing passwords and Google’s Harris Poll revealing widespread password reuse, underscore the pressure placed on IT administrators.
However, with passwordless authentication, this burden is substantially eased. The absence of passwords eliminates the need for IT administrators to invest excessive time and resources in rectifying human errors, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks.
In embracing passwordless authentication, organizations fortify security, streamline processes, enhance user experiences, and alleviate the strain on IT administrators. This transformative approach heralds a new era in authentication, fostering a landscape where security, efficiency, and user satisfaction harmoniously converge.
2- Redefines Scalability
As your organization grows, so does the significance of safeguarding user credentials. However, managing traditional passwords can be challenging. Enter passwordless authentication, which offers superior scalability. Dispensing with the need to manage and store raw passwords explicitly, this approach shifts the responsibility to the service provider, effectively streamlining your operations.
3- Enhances Security
In the realm of cybersecurity, ensuring the utmost security for your organization’s authentication processes is of paramount importance.
A study by Yubico, as part of the Ponemon 2020 State of Password and Authentication Security Behaviors, revealed a notable statistic: 55% of respondents in the United States believe passwordless authentication could significantly bolster their organization’s security posture.
Passwordless authentication stands apart by embracing robust alternatives like possession & inherence factors. That includes biometrics, OTPs, magic links, etc., to validate a user’s identity.
Possession factors encompass elements such as One-Time Passwords, registered smartphones, and hardware tokens, while inherence factors include fingerprints, retina scans, facial recognition, and behavioral traits.
Passwordless authentication effectively blocks a range of cyber threats by eliminating reliance on easily crackable human-readable passwords. This proactive approach blocks brute-force attacks, credential stuffing, keyloggers, and man-in-the-middle attacks.
For instance, Microsoft confirms that Multi-Factor Authentication, a form of passwordless security, effectively prevents 99.99% of modern automated cyberattacks.
4- Swift and Effortless Authentication
Compared to traditional password-based systems, passwordless authentication emerges as a paragon of speed and efficiency. Users can authenticate themselves by simply scanning their fingerprints or faces, obviating the need for manual input.
A single click allows users to authenticate across multiple platforms using a single authenticator—a process known as Single Sign-On (SSO). Numerous passwordless solutions contribute to this accelerated sign-in experience, eliminating the tiresome cycle of password creation, re-entry, and renewal.
5- Simplifies Authentication for a Seamless Experience
Take a scenario where your customers and employees are liberated from the need to remember, manage, and input passwords. The findings from Ping Identity underscore this potential transformation: a staggering 96% of global and Australian IT leaders express that passwordless authentication promises to enhance user experience.
With passwordless authentication, your employees and customers can seamlessly verify their identities. Integrating user-friendly methods such as passkeys, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Single Sign-On (SSO), and biometrics ensures a smoother authentication journey. This eradication of passwords lifts the burden of password fatigue—eliminating the hassle of changing, managing, storing, and entering passwords.
6- Elevating User Experience for Optimal Engagement
A frictionless and user-centric sign-in experience translates to higher conversion rates.
The Web Hosting Buzz Survey attests to this, with 86% of users expressing discomfort in creating new accounts and 77% advocating for Social Login solutions.
Passwordless authentication enhances this experience, minimizing bounce rates on your website. Users are freed from the constraints of password management, ensuring a seamless authentication process without the need to remember or verify themselves repeatedly.
7- Unlocking Savings and Security
Passwords come at a steep price. The facade of simplicity belies the intricate infrastructure required for password-based authentication—server maintenance, security upkeep, hashing, management, and customer support all contribute to an escalating IT expenditure.
While some corporations can shoulder these costs, others struggle under their weight. Yet, the question remains: do passwords truly offer commensurate value in a landscape characterized by rapid technological progress?
A testament to the transformative potential of passwordless authentication lies in Microsoft’s experience. Before implementing passwordless authentication for its workforce, Microsoft projected a staggering $3 million in upfront costs and an annual loss of $6 million in productivity.
However, following the seamless integration of passwordless solutions, the company safeguarded its resources and achieved a remarkable 87% reduction in hard and soft costs.
The toll that password-related issues take on IT resources cannot be underestimated. A report by Gartner underscores this by revealing that a substantial 40% of help desk inquiries are tied to passwords and resets.
Delving deeper into the economic ramifications, research by Forrest Research pegs the cost of an individual password reset at $70. In this context, adopting passwordless authentication emerges as a potent financial lifeline, unburdening organizations from unnecessary expenses.
The paradigm shift to passwordless authentication fortifies security and charts a course toward efficiency and cost-effectiveness in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By embracing this groundbreaking approach, companies can usher in an era where their digital assets and financial bottom line remain safeguarded.
Final Words
Passwordless methods are a step ahead of password-based authentication. They provide better security, less strain for IT administration, scalability, seamless user experience, and more.
At Vault Vision, we help you integrate world-class passwordless solutions for your Ruby app. From MFA to Passkey, we offer all sorts of methods. Sign-up today at Vault Vision for free to start your trial.
http://services.google.com/fh/files/blogs/google_security_infographic.pdf
http://www.webhostingbuzz.com/blog/2013/03/21/whos-sharing-what/
