Passwordless SSO & MFA Authentication Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Netlok^® is a cybersecurity software company that provides login solutions for Identity and Access Management (IAM). Our mission is to make the identity authentication journey frictionless, ultra secure, and habit-forming by providing a passwordless login method called Photolok that is simple to use. Photolok uses easy to remember photos instead of complicated passwords, and has earned three cybersecurity innovation awards in the process. To learn more, go to www.netlok.com and view the following video: https://vimeo.com/747055836?share=copy.

How does Netlok’s Photolok protect your privacy?

Photolok protects your privacy in three ways:

First, it minimizes the information it collects from its customers. We do not ask for your preferences, profile information, current location, etc. like most application account setups. To use Photolok, we only ask for the following information when creating your account: first and last name, mobile phone with text capability, and email address. Most of this information is already available publicly and on most business cards. To verify identity and prevent underage users, we may also ask for your date of birth and address as part of customer support when we detect abnormal behavior...

Second, Netlok does not sell or give customer information to third parties.

And, third, your photos are private, which means that your login security is ultra secure unless you share your photos, which violates Netlok’s Terms of Use.

Photolok is secure than password login because 81% of online breaches originate with compromised passwords, which makes passwords the weakest point of Internet security. Photolok is also more than a password replacement. Unlike password login, Photolok protects against AI/ML breaches, BOTS, keylogging, phishing, ransomware, password sharing, sim-card swapping, shoulder surfing, and lateral penetrations. In addition, Photolok allows the user to label photos for situational security. The Duress photos work like a silent alarm that sends security alerts to the appropriate parties in situations where you have been forced to open your device and/or are in potential danger. You can also use a 1-Time photo to protect against shoulder surfing and to work more safely from remote locations.

Photolok uses photos instead of passwords to login to an authorized Internet and/or Intranet site. By replacing passwords, the online user does not have to keep making their passwords longer or change them more frequently to gain better security. Instead, the user selects photos from Photolok’s library and clicks a label to save them. There are no complicated password rules that cost time and money. When logging in, the user clicks their pre-chosen photos in the photo panels that appear on the Photolok login screen to enter their authorized Internet or Intranet destination. It’s that simple. To see a short video on how the login works, go to www.netlok.com and click the “How it works” arrow.

1. Usability: Since it’s easy for users to remember, select, and change their login photos, the users’ online experience is simplified and frictionless. Photolok is designed to point and click and eliminate typing mistakes.
2. Cost-effective: Password resetting is eliminated. The user simply labels a selected photo and the photo is automatically saved in seconds. There are no password rules.
3. Ultra Secure Attributes: Photolok protects against AI/ML breachesa and lateral penetrations.
4. Personal Privacy Attributes: The user can select and change their personal photos at any time and can chose what devices with browser can access their account.
5. Situational Security Alerts: The user can label photo as Duress, which works like a silent alarm to protect the user in unsecure situations and/or forced entry circumstances.  The user can also label a photo as 1-Time, which is automatically removed from their account upon use.  The 1-Time Use photo protects against shoulder surfing and increases security when working remotely.
6. Authenticator Ready: Usable with Google, Microsoft, Authy, and other authenticators.
7. MFA Agile: Photolok can be used by itself or integrated with other login methods such as biometrics, Single Sign On apps that use passwords, and some hardware entry systems that use Bluetooth for access.
8. Bad Actor Attacks Averted: Common hacking methods like BOTS, man-in-the-middle attacks, ransomware, phishing, and keylogging are blocked because the user’s photos are randomized within the photo pages and the encrypted identity codes are concealed inside the photos.
9. Ad Revenue & Branding: In a business setting, photos can be used for co-op advertising, company branding, and fan club branding, etc. to help offset the growing cost of cybersecurity operations.
10. Agile Security Coding and Customization: Photolok’s admin controls support rapid changes in security levels and facilitates customized integration with customer access methods.
11. Patent Protected: The patents have been granted in USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and 10 EU countries.

To make it easy to setup their user account, Netlok provides the user with three photos during account creation. The new account owner can change their photos at any time by logging in using the Settings button and clicking the Photo icon on the upper left corner of Settings page.

The login page has a button called “Forgot My Photos.” When the user clicks “Forgot My Photos” and follows the instructions on the screen, the user will enter Manage Your Photos page and be able to view their current photos to refresh their memory. The account owner can also change their photos while they are on the Manage Photos page.

Most companies will have to decide what works best for their company. Some of the advantages of using Photolok is that there are no password rules, so changing photos is fast and easy. It only takes a few seconds to label a new photo and the photos are easy to remember.

The best practices are…

1. Do not show, describe, or share your photos with anyone.
2. Do not post your photos on any social media site.
3. Use “1-Time Use” photos in public areas or in situations where you think someone may be shoulder surfing or trying to see your photos.
4. Use the “Duress” photo when entering unsafe area.

A 1-Time Use photo can only be used once during the login process is used to prevent shoulder surfing in crowded or remote areas. The 1-Time photo is removed from your account after one use.

The Duress photo works like a silent alarm to notify others that the account owner has been forced to enter their device by an unauthorized party and they need help. Two alerts are executed when a Duress photo is clicked: 1) a text message and 2) an email message. The recipients of these alerts must agree in advance to the action steps that are required when they receive a Duress alert.

Yes, Photolok can be used with smart phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop devices as long as they are connected to the Internet and have proper signal strength. The speed, strength, and bandwidth of the Internet signal affects the operating speed of Photolok.

Yes, Photolok is adaptable and can be configured for commercial and government uses from entertainment to national defense. Photolok has a robust administration function that accommodates the security needs of small to large businesses. Contact us about Photolok customization by emailing us at photoloksales@netlok.com.