Cisco Set to Roll Out Password-less Authentication
The global launch could happen as soon as next week and could be in line with the reports that passwordless adoption is rising
Cisco appears to be all set to roll out its Duo passwordless authentication program globally. Starting with next Wednesday, the company could systematically roll out the program as part of its push towards ensuring greater adoption of the system where passwords aren’t required for authentication.
According to published reports, the service would allow users to log on without a password while using other authentication tools such as Windows Hello, Apple’s Touch ID and Face ID and Google’s face and fingerprint biometrics. They could also use security tokens and keys such as YubiKey Duo Single Sign-On, and Duo Push authentication.
The Duo Mobile app is among the latest to go for passwordless authentication that includes the mobile app push and biometrics being enabled on a vast majority of Duo customers’ smartphones, says a statement from Cisco. Furthermore, the Duo Passwordless Authentication also supports customers using Duo single sign on or existing SSO from other providers.
Cisco says that the service would enhance the user experience on the login screen by removing the password box and reducing the friction that we have all felt during the process of authentication. However, it would also increase the pressure on bad actors due to the complexity added to the process to curtail cyber attacks.
The company says that enterprises could adopt the passwordless strategy as part of their zero-trust journey as the key user benefit emanating from it is added safety with better user experience. Both the passwordless strategy and risk-based authentication could provide users with a better experience while spiking up security controls behind the scenes.
The company says that to ensure that the enterprise goes passwordless, they need to first adopt a strong multi-factor authentication approach to reduce large attack vectors such as stolen passwords and credentials. Thereafter, they need to step ahead on the passwordless authentication solutions with SSO.
The recent surge in favor of passwordless authentication is driven by the ease of use, a substantial increase in the number of devices that have biometrics and the standardization set up for WebAuthn and passwordless that makes it easier to operate and install.
