Anything that can be connected, will be connected. That’s what to expect from the Internet of Things.
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
As more and more devices are being created with wifi and sensor capabilities, as the smart phone market continues to grow at a rapid rate and as technology costs continue to decrease, the reach of the internet will extend into devices and systems that were not previously connected.
To put this into perspective with an everyday example: the IoT will turn our homes into “smart homes,” giving us the ability to turn on lights using our smart phones, or have our alarm clock wake us up and at the same time send a notification to our coffee maker to start brewing coffee so that it is ready by the time we get downstairs.
But, that’s not all the IoT will do.
The IoT has the potential to redefine the way we use and secure devices and systems in the consumer, enterprise, and manufacturing worlds. It represents machine-to-machine and machine-to-sensor communication and the ability of these machines to gather data and leverage its use. As such the Internet of Things is emerging as an adoptive concept for both consumers and businesses.
How will biometrics come into play?
We have come across multiple market research findings on biometrics and the Internet of Things:
- Gartner predicts that by 2016, IoT will drive device and user relationship requirements in 20% of new identity and access control management.
- Gartner also conservatively estimates that biometric sensors, which includes work time management and premise security entry consoles, will total at least 500 million IoT connections in 2018 and 26 billion by 2020.
- Gartner predicts 30% of organizations will use biometric authentication for mobile devices by 2016.
- Acuity Market Intelligence forecasts that within three years, biometrics will become a standard feature on smartphones as well as other mobile devices.
Does Higher Convenience Come at the Cost of Lowered Security?
With the convenience of the Internet of Things also comes the risk of security for the devices and the systems that were not previously “connected” and therefore not considered “at-risk”. However, the Internet of Things will deliver additional integrated security layer by connecting various networkable devices. Enhanced security and improved user experiences are just two examples of how integrated security will be beneficial. When integrated, systems like video surveillance, both physical and logical access control, and intrusion alarms will add extra layers of security as these systems will communicate with each other.
In this IoT era, how are we going to effectively and adequately stay secure?
Today the two most common methods of proving user authenticity are single-factor passwords or PINs and multi-factor authentication (MFA) using a password or PIN combined with a second layer of authenticity like a token or card.
A password or PIN alone as single-layer authentication is riskiest since passwords and PINs can easily be shared, lost, forgotten, hacked, or stolen and it is the only layer of authentication that is required. In fact, a 2011 study found that one in seven iPhones can be unlocked by just trying the top 10 PINs.
Two-factor or multi-factor authentication is a popular method, but when used with a password/PIN/card can cause friction at the user level. This is because passwords/PINs/cards are easily forgotten, shared or stolen… Which is really a testament to the fact that the guaranteed security of usernames and passwords is prevented by the human need for ease and convenience.
Biometrics emerged as a new way of granting physical and logical access securely and conveniently whether via single-factor or multi-factor. The biggest differentiator between a biometric and other authentication method is that it is the only way to truly verify the identity of the individual because that biometric is 100% unique to that individual. No two people share the same biometrics so they can’t be shared or forgotten which makes it an ideal method for user authentication in terms of both security and convenience. Many consider single-factor biometric still not to be enough because of insecure biometric technology at the industry’s origin an issue we have addressed in a previous post. While there are still concerns over the adoption of biometrics as a form of secure authentication for everyday life, adoption will no doubt become much more common.
As the Internet of Things continues to evolve so will the mainstream use of biometrics. Biometric authentication offers the ease and convenience users want and the verification enterprises and manufacturers require for IoT because it is able to verify the true identity of the user of the application. From smart homes, to the automotive industry, banking, and healthcare, there will be endless applications in various industries in which biometrics will be integrated. Wherever identification and confirmation is needed, IoT will play a role and enterprises and consumers both must be ready to embrace change.
Stay up to date on biometrics. Subscribe to our newsletter here: