In our digital age, data security has become absolutely essential. We have more online accounts than ever, and the ways hackers are attempting to access them are more sophisticated every day.
As the traditional model of written passwords is revealed to be vulnerable to hacks and breaches, the world is looking to alternatives that are safer and more reliable. That’s where biometrics come in — they use the things that are unique to each of us to verify our identities. This offers enhanced security and convenience over traditional passwords.
But not all biometric security measures are created equal. There are physical biometrics, of course, but there are also what’s known as behavioral biometrics. Each of these brings its own distinct methods, applications, and implications for security.
Understanding these differences is essential as privacy concerns rise alongside technological advances like AI. That’s why we’ve provided this primer on how physical and behavioral biometrics work, how they differ, and how our innovative approach to security at Netlok offers the perfect blend of benefits.
Physical biometrics authenticate individuals based on measurable physical traits. These traits are constant, stay the same over time, and are unique to each person. Common examples include fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and iris or retinal scans.
The advantages of physical biometrics are significant. Physical traits like fingerprints and iris patterns don’t change over time, making them a stable basis for authentication. Meanwhile, many smartphones and devices now come built-in with fingerprint scanners or facial recognition. This makes it easy for users to access secure systems without passwords. Finally, physical traits are incredibly difficult to replicate, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
That said, there are also some notable drawbacks to physical biometrics. If biometric data like fingerprints or facial templates are compromised in a breach, they obviously can’t be changed like a password could. Once stolen, this data can be used for identity theft and other malicious action. And even though many devices come with fingerprint scanners or facial recognition cameras, many don’t have this specialized hardware.
Unlike physical biometrics, behavioral biometrics focus on how you do things rather than what you are. This form of authentication relies on analyzing patterns in human behavior and interaction with devices.
Here are a few examples:
Advantages of behavioral biometrics include dynamic security, which means that because these behaviors evolve with the user they’re much harder for attackers to imitate. Behavioral authentication systems can also monitor users in real-time, identifying anomalies and flagging potential threats. And of course, this approach usually doesn’t require specialized hardware or sensors and can use regular accelerometers and touchscreens.
However, behavioral biometrics also require constant monitoring and data collection to work effectively. This can feel invasive to a lot of users. Environmental factors can also change behaviors, such as stress, injury, or other environmental conditions. This can lead to false positives or false negatives. Meanwhile, the sheer volume of data collected makes behavioral biometrics systems vulnerable to breaches.
Behavioral biometrics rely heavily on tracking and analyzing users’ daily activities. To provide accurate authentication, these systems monitor a wide range of behaviors, often without users being fully aware of the extent of data collection.
This raises significant privacy concerns:
So while behavioral biometrics offer advanced security features, their invasive nature makes them a controversial choice for a lot of everyday users.
As biometrics become more common in our everyday lives, keeping personal data private is going to become even more essential. Companies and regulators are stepping up with stricter rules to make sure user data is handled responsibly. For example, laws like the European Union’s GDPR and California’s CCPA are all about transparency. They require companies to be upfront about how they’re using biometric data and give users the option to opt out of things like invasive monitoring.
At the same time, some amazing innovations are shaking things up, like decentralized biometric storage. Instead of keeping all your biometric info on massive servers that could get hacked, decentralized models let users store their data locally, which makes breaches way less likely. Netlok’s Photolok is a great example of how we can move toward more secure and private ways of authentication without making users feel like they’re constantly being watched.
With these changes, the future of biometrics is really about finding the sweet spot between strong security and respecting privacy. By using smarter technologies and better practices, companies can create safer, more user-friendly ways to keep our online accounts secure.
As the debate around biometrics and privacy continues, Netlok provides an innovative alternative that sidesteps many of the concerns associated with both physical and behavioral biometrics. Netlok’s patented Photolok® technology offers a passwordless authentication solution that prioritizes privacy and security.
Instead of relying on traditional passwords or biometrics, Photolok allows users to authenticate their accounts using secure, encrypted photo identification. This approach offers enhanced privacy, a much more user-friendly experience, greater resilience to hacks and breaches, and no continuous, invasive monitoring.
By replacing passwords with encrypted photo authentication, we eliminate vulnerabilities while giving you full control over your data. Want to learn more? Find out how Photolok works or request a demo today.
According to tech giant IBM, social engineering includes “attacks [that] manipulate people into sharing information that they shouldn’t share, downloading software that they shouldn’t download, visiting websites they shouldn’t visit, sending money to criminals or making other mistakes that compromise their personal or organizational security.” Essentially, social engineering in the context of cybersecurity is a method of illegally and immorally gathering information from victims using established social constructs and relationships that the attacker forges and then quickly abandons once they have the information they need.
As an example, an extremely common version of social engineering is phishing. Phishing is when a criminal impersonates a figure of authority – a bank, government, or trusted business – and “informs” their victim of an issue with their account requiring “confirmation” of their details. This is usually done with a high degree of urgency, often using the threat of a closed account, lost money, or, ironically, a security breach. When victims supply the necessary information, the phisher can then access their accounts and reroute money to their own accounts.
These schemes usually target vulnerable individuals such as the elderly who might not catch on to the falsehoods until it is too late to recover the money. As such, it can be very difficult to defend against at both an individual and corporate level.
Social engineering attacks can be intensely dangerous in that they can be difficult to prevent and detect at a basic level. Since it relies on manipulating human relationships rather than mechanically stealing information (such as through a keylogger or spyware), it’s much harder to spot automatically and requires every person involved to be vigilant to prevent it from happening.
According to an article in Forbes in 2023, social engineering tends to work well as a breaching mechanism because human beings are hardwired to lean on each other for support. The author notes that “human brains are naturally trusting; we’re looking for places to put our trust, and anyone we see as an authority figure or friend has an advantage.” With AI and machine learning on the rise, the mimicry of a social engineering attack is becoming far more advanced as well; we might hear a voice we trust or even recognize on the other end of the phone only to discover too late that it was synthesized.
Another article from Cisco explains that social engineering attacks are especially dangerous in business and corporate settings because “a single successfully fooled victim can provide enough information to trigger an attack that can affect an entire organization.” They explain that it takes only one victim being successfully scammed out of proprietary access credentials for attackers to gain access to internal systems and deploy further, more damaging attacks that might cost businesses significant amounts of money and social trust extremely quickly.
The same Forbes article discussed earlier gives the following advice to individuals to help thwart social engineering attacks:
Cisco also recommends businesses implement specific and frequently updated training for all employees to help them recognize the signs of social engineering attacks and avoid falling for them. They say that keeping the training personally relevant to the employees – by explaining how falling victim to these attacks could affect them on a personal and career level – can help to make it more effective.
Netlok has a solution for companies looking to support their customers and employees in protecting against social engineering attacks. Their program Photolok is an MFA system that relies on a proprietary bank of photos to act as keys to user data. Users will select their photos when creating an account, then, when they input their credentials, be prompted to pick their photo from a grid to verify their identity. This takes away the hassle and issues of passwords and, with one-time-use photo features, makes remote and public access safer and easier. Additionally, the Duress label allows users to alert the system’s administration to forced access attempts and respond quickly, which is useful in the event of suspicious access requests.
If you’re interested in how Photolok can protect your company from social engineering attacks, you can schedule a consultation with the Netlok team.
In cybersecurity, authentication is crucial for guarding sensitive information against those who would use it for ill gains. Traditionally, passwords have been the primary means of authentication. However, as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, the limitations of password-based systems have become apparent.
To address these challenges, many organizations are transitioning to passwordless authentication methods. These innovative systems offer enhanced security and user experience by eliminating the need for passwords.
Authentication in the context of cybersecurity is the process of ensuring that the entity attempting to access sensitive information (banking information, identity documentation, government information, medical documents, etc.) is both an entity that is properly permitted to access it and is the entity that they are claiming to represent. To put it more simply, authentication is a service’s method of making sure that only the right people – people you specify – get to see your data.
The most classic form of authentication online is a password. Passwords are specific phrases or strings of symbols that act as a sort of key for the “lock” protecting your information. Users enter an account identifier – usually a name, email, or username – and a password into the verification screen. The service compares what was entered to what is on file as valid for this information and, if they match, grants access. It’s a relatively straightforward system.
Because of its simplicity, however, password authentication systems are insecure in the modern world. Simple programs like keyloggers and common scams like phishing gather information quickly and can make it easy for cybercriminals to access your information. Beyond this, there are thousands of password databank breaches annually that can mean your information is exposed even if you yourself are extremely careful with it. Passwords are easy to misplace, forget, or input incorrectly, meaning that lots of time needs to be spent recovering password-protected accounts, which is both frustrating and time-wasting.
To combat this, many companies are now switching to passwordless authentication systems. As the name implies, a passwordless authentication system uses alternative methods to verify a user’s identity, not requiring a specific password at all. This eliminates the need for a password databank and can be easier to encrypt for security. It also means that keyloggers are rendered useless and spoofing for a phishing scam is harder to do.
Of course, there are methods of bolstering password authentication. This usually involves establishing multi-factor authentication with additional layers like reCAPTCHA. ReCAPTCHA is Google’s authentication system based on the CAPTCHA method; users input the digits or letters presented to them in a slightly distorted photo that many image identification bots struggle to read. In newer versions of reCAPTCHA, users must select a particular object from a grid system of a photo or set of photos or must answer a question.
Systems like reCAPTCHA can still have vulnerabilities, however. Modern machine learning models and artificial intelligence programs have vastly improved photo recognition algorithms and can parse the tests relatively easily and quickly, meaning that bad actors can still access sensitive information with relatively little effort. Passwordless authentication is still not as vulnerable to this kind of attack because it doesn’t rely on a specific typed input in the same way from users and often instead relies on another personal identifier selected at account creation, which can’t be predicted by these programs.
When it comes to securing online accounts, Photolok from Netlok is a passwordless authentication method that offers a practical and user-friendly alternative to traditional password-reliant methods like reCAPTCHA. Photolok leverages photos to authenticate users in a way that’s both effective and intuitive.
This unique software’s authentication process works like this. Users select and categorize photos to use as verification keys; they can be labeled as multi-use, one-time use, or “Duress” (a distress signal). During login, users are asked to identify their chosen photo from a grid of similar photos from Photolok’s proprietary database. This approach eliminates the need for passwords entirely, making it a robust alternative to conventional password-based systems.
In terms of defending against AI and machine learning attacks, Photolok is particularly effective by design. Its system is built with advanced encryption and lateral defenses, which standard password-cracking tools cannot bypass. Since there are no passwords to crack and photo recognition software needs specific training and prompting to identify photos, AI attacks are considerably less effective; there is no “please choose this item” prompting for them to rely on for identification. The use of one-time-use photos further complicates any potential data collection by attackers, making it challenging for them to amass useful information over time. Additionally, keylogging systems are ineffective with Photolok, as the user’s photo location on the grid changes with each login.
As mentioned, traditional CAPTCHA tests, including advanced versions like Google’s reCAPTCHA, were designed to thwart simple automated attacks, but AI’s rapid advancement left CAPTCHA systems of all kinds outdated and less effective against sophisticated threats. Photolok provides a modern solution with its photo-based system, offering superior protection against both AI-driven and human social engineering attacks alike. Photolok’s ease of use and strong security make it an excellent choice for enterprises seeking a more reliable authentication method. Visit Netlok’s website to learn more and schedule a demonstration to see Photolok in action.
Most people who have used the Internet are familiar with the little boxes at the bottom of forms that ask you to prove that you’re human. It’s become a common joke that the distorted letters are illegible and that it’s just as hard for a human to solve these puzzles as it would be for a robot. But is that true? And if so, why do we still use this outdated verification?
Google’s ReCaptcha is beginning to show its limitations, and many site owners and internet users are seeking alternatives. To know why, it’s important to know what Recaptcha is, why it is being phased out, and what authentication methods are being used to replace it.
ReCaptcha is a Google property. This program is a multi-factor authentication method that uses a risk analysis engine to prevent spam responses to forms online. It’s most often used for surveys, email list registration forms, account creation and login screens, and purchase forms, among other applications. ReCaptcha uses a CAPTCHA test, which stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.”
The Turing Test is a method of determining whether a computer can effectively mimic a human being’s thought processes. For a classic Turing Test, a human asks a series of questions to two responders, one other human and one computer program. After all questions are answered, the questioner must determine which responder is the computer. If, on more than half of the trials of the test, the computer is incorrectly identified, the computer is said to have passed the Turing Test.
So, using this idea, CAPTCHA tests generate an image that the user has to correctly interpret to access or submit the form. This is usually either an image with distorted letters and numbers that must be typed in the correct order or a series of images that ask users to identify a specific object. Some reCaptcha tests may be a single checkbox to select labeled “I am not a robot.” With this version of the test, the program takes into account the speed and accuracy of the click on the box, verifying a certain level of human error for authenticity.
While reCaptcha started as a go-to authentication method, modern internet users and site owners have criticisms that are beginning to spell the end of the software as an industry standard.
For one, reCaptcha has extremely limited accessibility features. Many users with accessibility needs, such as low vision or blind users, express frustration with reCaptcha’s distorted letter mechanic. With accessibility for all becoming a major focus for most online brands, having essential features of your site hidden behind a feature that cannot accommodate people with visual disabilities can be a major hindrance.
Another major complaint is the overall tedium of filling out reCaptcha forms. Some versions of the system require users to go through two, three, or even four layers of identification and authentication to verify their legitimacy as users, which can take an upsetting amount of time to complete, and in the event of an internet issue, can be extremely frustrating to have to restart. There have also been issues with image reCaptchas specifically having errors that result in the user being asked to identify an object that isn’t present at all, which can lead to further confusion and annoyance.
The final major concern with reCaptcha is the advancement of artificial intelligence technology. AI algorithms are becoming so advanced that they can pass the Turing test with relative ease, and with reCaptcha specifically, programs have been developed by scammers and bot managers that can replicate the minute randomizations in clicks of a human being and identify images more clearly than ever before. Many people are concerned that reCaptchas have become obsolete in the face of these advancements, and many site owners are finding that more and more bots are slipping through reCaptcha filters because of it.
While it’s unlikely that reCaptcha will be completely phased out anytime soon – as this would be a massive undertaking and require the reconfiguration of millions of sites worldwide – other authentication methods are slowly becoming more prevalent as a way of warding off AI advancements and bots.
Some sites choose to use methods like Cloudflare’s Turnstile, which uses specific code to verify a user’s connection and authenticity and filter out bots. Others choose to add another layer of security to their reCaptcha authentication instead of replacing it, using bot-sweeping software to filter out any spam that may get past the Captcha and into their system. They may also choose to implement a firewall system to block AI. Some companies are also fighting AI with AI; they use AI software to detect spam accounts and users across networks and block them instantly.
A new authentication method from Netlok called Photolok allows users to log into their accounts by selecting an image of their choosing from a grid of similar images. This system allows users to upload their security images with labels including one-time use and duress – a label that would alert administrators if a user is forced to log into their account by a bad actor. It is an extremely secure method that works well against bots and AI alike thanks to clever encryption and a unique verification algorithm.
Other methods include 2FA requiring outside devices such as phones or tablets and biometric authentication, which may include facial recognition software or fingerprint reading.
While reCaptcha has been a go-to authentication method for many years, its limitations and drawbacks are becoming increasingly apparent to both internet users and site owners, especially concerning accessibility. Alternative authentication methods are slowly gaining popularity as a way to fight against AI advancements and bots. Again, while it is unlikely that reCaptcha will be completely phased out anytime soon, site owners need to consider alternative authentication methods that are more accessible, user-friendly, and secure.
If you are interested in implementing Photolok into your network as a Captcha alternative, you can schedule a demo online.
Read More: Phishing Attacks Surge By 173% In Q3, 2023
Read More: The Need for a Paradigm Change to Mitigate Password Vulnerability From Artificial Intelligence
Read More: Fortify Security: Investing in Advanced Authentication Solutions
With the Biden Administration announcing new guidelines for AI safety – including requiring innovators to share critical information with the federal government – it is clear that cybersecurity stakeholders must also defend against the serious threat AI poses to online security, privacy, and data protection.
Fortunately, Photolok IdP is available today and has been tested and found to protect against AI attacks. Photolok, a passwordless IdP, employs photos in place of passwords and uses OAuth for authentication and Open ID Connect for integration. To understand Photolok and how it protects against AI attacks, it is important to understand how AI/ML tools and techniques have made it easier for hackers to get around current password security methods.
AI/ML tools are enabling hackers to scrape the internet for personal data and find passwords. When combined with social engineering, AI technics can decipher passwords far more quickly than earlier systems. The reality is that AI password crackers can breach most passwords in seconds and more difficult ones in minutes. For example, hackers can attempt millions of possible passwords each minute using AI-driven brute-force attacks that enable hackers to take advantage of password complexity flaws. While longer passwords and phrases make it more challenging, as computational capabilities of AL and ML continue to evolve, those solutions will experience a significant reduction in efficacy.
AI technologies are also negating the cybersecurity value of two-factor authentication. For example, the common use of CAPTCHAs, known as Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, are becoming obsolete. AI bots have become so adept at mimicking the human brain and vision that CAPTCHAs are no longer a barrier.
Making CAPTCHAs more complex is not the answer. Cengiz Acartürk, a cognition and computer scientist at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, says that there’s a problem with designing better CAPTCHAs because they have a built-in ceiling. “If it’s too difficult, people give up,” Acartürk says. Whether CAPTCHA puzzles are worth adding to a website may ultimately depend on whether the next step is so important to a user’s experience that a tough puzzle won’t turn away visitors while providing an appropriate level of security. AI bots are better than humans at solving CAPTCHA puzzles (qz.com)
Another way AI undermines passwords is via the use of keylogging. The use of AI can enable keyloggers to keep track of your keystrokes in order to retrieve your passwords. According to a University of Surrey study, artificial intelligence can be trained to recognize the key that is being pressed more than 90% of the time simply by listening to it. Using an Apple MAC Pro, the group recorded the sound of 25 distinct finger and pressure combinations being used to press each key on the laptop. The noises were captured during a conversation on a smartphone and during a Zoom meeting. A machine learning system was then trained to recognize the sound of each key using some of the data that had been provided to it. The algorithm was able to accurately identify which keys were being pressed 95% of the time for the call recording and 93% of the time for the Zoom recording when it was evaluated using the remaining data. What secrets can AI pick up on by eavesdropping on your typing? (govtech.com)
To combat these attack vectors, Photolok randomizes photos to mediate AI/ML attacks so that AL/ML tools cannot identify and/or learn any patterns, which prevents AI/ML breaches. Photolok uses steganographic photos (random codes hidden in the photo) to hide the attack points from nefarious hackers, while randomly placing the user’s photo on each photo panels to prevent keylogging and other security attack methods. Photolok also blocks horizontal penetrations and defends against external threats, such as ransomware, phishing, shoulder surfing, and man-in-the-middle assaults.
By Chuck Brooks
Traditionally, strong passwords have been a first-tier defense against cyber-attacks and breaches. However, with the development of AI and ML tools, the effectiveness of cyber-defense has been thoroughly diminished, especially from more sophisticated cyber actors who use AI/ML tools to circumvent password defenses. Despite the drawbacks of passwords, cyber decision-makers (CTOs, CISOs, etc.) have been hesitant to abandon them. But an innovative passwordless solution is available that can facilitate that change from passwords and enhance security strategies. It’s Netlok’s Photolok, a passwordless IdP, which employs images in place of passwords and uses OAuth for authentication and Open ID Connect for integration.
Photolok is user-friendly and provides enhanced security not available with other solutions. Photolok’s randomization of photos mediates AI/ML attacks because they cannot identify and/or learn any patterns and, therefore, prevents AI/ML breaches. The proprietary photos are used to hide attack points from nefarious actors, streamline the login process, and make point-and-click navigation easy to use.
With Photolok, bots are unable to recognize which photographs to attack. Any automated attack is substantially neutralized by the randomization of photo localizations. Moreover, the digital information hidden behind the images—which can be updated every time a login attempt is made—won’t be gathered by the bots. Any automated bot attempt to get access will certainly fail and result in the user’s account being instantly locked out.
Photolok makes the identity authentication journey easier for humans to manage. The photos are easy to remember, connect with people, and provide privacy protection. Photolok’s simplicity makes it intuitive and removes language and literacy barriers that make passwords difficult to operate. Getting rid of passwords also eliminates the costly process of password resetting and following password rules, which makes Photolok very cost-effective. To change and/or add new photos, users select and label a photo that are automatically saved in seconds.
Photolok IdP is an identity provider and an authentication server with Open ID Connect making it easier to integrate apps and APIs. With Photolok, users upload pictures from Photolok’s custom library to be used as identifiers. To authenticate their identity, the user just uploads, labels, and chooses security photos from Photolok’s custom library.
Photolok IdP can be used as a standalone MFA alternative. The availability of robust authentication techniques like multi-factor authentication (MFA) can greatly lower the risk of data loss or compromise and is one of the main benefits of adopting an identity provider (IdP). Photolok MFA IdP can confirm the user’s identity, making it more difficult for malicious parties to access private information without authorization.
Deploying single sign-on (SSO) technology also simplifies the user experience, which is another advantage of adopting an identity provider like Photolok. When used with a federator like Okta Workforce, users won’t need to remember numerous passwords, usernames, or backup authentication techniques, which lowers the total quantity of data that a business’s system must constantly monitor. For example, Netlok uses Photolok to login to its Okta Workforce account to immediately access a wide pool of apps and APIs.
Photolok is the first IdP to offer situational security protection in the public environments or even in unprotected remote work. The Photolok account owner can 1) Give permission for the device and browser to be used for Photolok identity and authentication entry, 2) Utilize the “Duress” photo to trigger an automated warning informing the IT that the account owner is having problems or that a malicious actor is forcing them to access their device, 3) Utilize the “One-Time Use” photo to stop shoulder surfing, and 4) Give permission for the alert message to be sent each time the user opens their account. Photolok is a major innovative development in digital security systems, particularly in its capabilities to mitigate AI generated threats. Photolok effectively removes a great deal of the shortcomings in the current security paradigm. More significantly, Photolok blocks horizontal penetrations and defends against external threats, such as ransomware, phishing, keylogging, shoulder surfing, and man-in-the-middle assaults. In effect, Photolok lessens the user’s burden while improving online digital security, which is essential for widespread adoption by both businesses and consumers.
CyberheistNews Vol 13 #05 | January 31st, 2023
Cybersecurity Ventures released a new report that claims cybercrime is going to cost the world $8 trillion in 2023. If it were measured as a country, then cybercrime would be the world’s third largest economy after the U.S. and China.
The number sounds outlandish, but they stated: “We expect global cybercrime damage costs to grow by 15 percent per year over the next three years, reaching $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion USD in 2015.
“Cybercrime costs include damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to the normal course of business, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hacked data and systems, and reputational harm.”
The 2022 Official Cybercrime Report published by Cybersecurity Ventures and sponsored by eSentire, provides cyber economic facts, figures, predictions and statistics which convey the magnitude of the cyber threat we are up against, and market data to help understand what can be done about it.
Link to the article where you can download the report and see the VIDEO:
https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybercrime-to-cost-the-world-8-trillion-annually-in-2023/
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