Secure Your Digital Identity: Digital identities consist of personal information that criminals can manipulate to their advantage. According to a 2023 report, 10.88 billion Cam4 records were breached in 2020, and 1.1 billion Aadhar accounts were breached in 2018.
The Aadhar breach resulted in a loss of fingerprint scans and identification numbers, which could be used for obtaining financial aid, account opening, and availing government services under a false identity.
The growing number of data breaches, scams, and phishing attacks have made people vulnerable to financial loss and information misuse. These significantly increase during the festive season, which has already begun in India, the U.S., and many other countries.
Based on the traditional patterns, We expect a high volume of such breaches during the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Week. It’s best to take a few precautions to avoid becoming a victim of digital identity theft, fraud, and account/data breaches.
3 Crucial Tips to Safeguard Your Digital Identity
1. Use Biometrics Instead of Passwords
Creating strong and complex passwords works for some, as they are hard to remember. Moreover, password managers are also vulnerable to attacks. So, the best way to protect your digital identity and account is by incorporating biometric authentication.
However, sophisticated methods have been developed to replicate physical biometrics. So, the best solution is to use contactless biometric authentication methods, allowing users to scan their biometrics using their device or an allocated device.
Using biometrics eliminates the need for a password manager or any other software, as they are hard to replicate. Moreover, biometrics are unique to a person, and government accounts linked to contactless biometrics are more secure than traditional accounts linking biometrics with OTPs or PINs.
2. Use 2-Factor Biometric Authentication
The use of two-factor authentication significantly reduces the risk of account breaches. Traditionally, the secondary factor included PINs, OTPs, answers to a security question, etc. Contactless biometrics have become a new-age method of safeguarding digital identities and accounts.
Accounts with multiple biometric authentication methods are more secure than others because they are challenging to replicate. They eliminate the risk of account hijacking through SIM swaps or other methods.
They also reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud because even the most basic bio-auth plans have in-built liveness detection, geolocation, and timestamp features. These systems also alert the end user of any unauthorized access attempts.
3. Ask Your Organization to Use Biometric Technology
Biometrics have become widely applicable for marking attendance, making transactions, and account opening. They offer a seamless and secure journey to the end users. Global organizations use them to streamline visitor access and employee attendance, allocate insurance to the correct account holder, and other purposes.
According to a 2022 Statista report, the global biometric system market size was estimated at $43 billion, with forecasted growth exceeding double its value by 2027. So, the adoption of biometric technology is increasing rapidly.
Even government departments across the globe are switching to biometric technology to decrease data breaches and enhance user experience. So, it’s best to ask your company to adopt it for the same reasons. It would also eliminate the risk of account misuse due to replicated passwords, password managers, or shared accounts. On the other hand, it will ensure that the correct user is accessing the account.
Conclusion
Whether a corporate or a personal account, they become vulnerable to cyber attacks and threats, especially during festive sales like Black Friday and Cyber Week. At this point, switching to contactless biometric technology providers is essential for safeguarding and preventing access to accounts.
Any misstep could lead to digital identity theft, fraud, financial loss, and other significant losses. Sticking to traditional password hygiene methods or password managers is no longer acceptable because many of the organization’s providers have become victims of data breaches.
Contactless biometrics are also better than traditional biometric systems as they don’t require physical touch, which diminishes the risk of account access through biometric replication. Moreover, they offer enhanced security and convenience with features like liveness detection, geolocation, timestamp, etc. Get in touch with us to learn more about the advantages of a biometric authentication system for your enterprise.