Abstract

This IDC study provides a systematic assessment of technologies related to advanced authentication in 2019.

Advanced authentication capabilities are a tricky dribble. Ask for too much, and people go away; ask for too little, and people lose trust. This IDC TechScape outlines 17 approaches that are all in use today, some way more than others. So what should you as a vendor do? Draw the line at a meets-min solution and reap the benefits of simplicity. Add friction when required, and your users will appreciate the diligence.

There are many ways to authenticate users requesting access to online resources that vary from simple informational browsing activities to data collection requirements to initiate payments for significant sums of money. Anyone assessing a best fit for their own applications knows that the challenge is fundamentally risk based. More risk requires more certainty, but inaccurate assessments and overzealous methods will drive away certain (lower risk) types of users or browsers.

"Advanced authentication corresponds to the magnitude of the transaction. Let people do simple things easily; challenge them more when the stakes increase," says Jay Bretzmann, program director, Security Products.

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