Transforming Workforce Security

Reimagining Employee Onboarding

Traditional onboarding processes are often fragmented, requiring substantial time and manual intervention from HR and IT departments. As the workforce becomes more distributed, these processes present even greater challenges.

Recent revelations of North Korean operatives posing as IT support contractors bring to life new and vexing questions. Are the people being recruited into the organization who they
claim to be? Are the users being onboarded the same as the ones who were recruited? And, for that matter, are the people you hired the ones logging in?

Enter self-service remote onboarding. This is a process where identity verification is bound to credentialing and embedded in an automated workflow available anytime, anywhere, and from virtually any device. This enables new hires to securely verify their identity using government issued credentials and efficiently complete their onboarding journey, regardless of location.

Flexible Options for User-Centric Onboarding

To maximize user convenience and reduce operational burdens, organizations can offer multiple onboarding interfaces:

• Mobile app-based onboarding: Secure, user-friendly onboarding through a mobile app that simplifies identity verification and credential setup.
• Appless onboarding: Leveraging QR codes and other technologies for secure onboarding, this method caters to users who prefer not to download new applications.
• Browser-based onboarding: For desktop users, a browser-based interface offers flexibility and accessibility without the need for additional downloads

The Benefits

Self-service onboarding reduces the time to productivity for new employees, minimizes the need for IT support, and empowers users by providing an intuitive, flexible experience. For organizations, this translates to a stronger security posture without sacrificing usability.

Branding and Integrating Authentication

Creating a consistent user experience extends beyond the basic mechanics of authentication. By offering a brandable universal authenticator,1 organizations can align authentication processes with their corporate identity. This builds trust, reinforces brand recognition, and ensures a seamless digital journey.

Easy Integration

The true value of a universal authenticator lies in its ability to be embedded within existing enterprise applications and mobile apps. By choosing a solution that offers a software development kit2 (SDK), pre-built APIs, and standards-based connectors, organizations can incorporate advanced authentication methods with minimal disruption, making the transition smooth and efficient.

Microservice Architecture

Embedding the authenticator as a flexible microservice allows businesses to enhance their IT ecosystems while maintaining control over how authentication is implemented. This modularity drives adaptability, scalability, and rapid response to emerging security needs.

Diverse Authentication Methods for Layered Security

In enterprises with complex IT landscapes, a one-size-fits-all approach to authentication is rarely effective. To maintain security while meeting diverse operational requirements, compliance standards, and user preferences, organizations must implement a flexible solution that supports a wide range of authentication methods. This multi-layered approach to security not only strengthens defenses, but also enables customization based on specific use cases and risk profiles.Organizations should deploy a diverse set of authentication options, such as:

1. Biometric-Based Authentication
   • Live biometrics: Uses advanced AI with liveness detection, such as blinking or skin texture, ensuring the person is physically present and not using a fake method to fool the system, like a photo, video, or recording.
   • Identity-backed biometrics: Matches user biometrics with an official verified identify, such as a government ID or company profile.
   • Device biometrics: Uses unique physical attributes such as fingerprint and face match from users with administrative access to personal devices.
   • Voice recognition: Authenticates users by analyzing unique voice patterns.
   • Behavioral biometrics: Examines behavioral patterns like typing speed or mouse movement for continuous identity verification.
2. Token-Based Authentication
   • Hardware tokens: Physical devices that generate a unique code for user verification.
   • Smart cards: Physical cards with embedded chips that enable secure authentication.
   • Software tokens: Digital security credentials are stored on electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or computers.
3. Software/Code-Based Authentication
   • One-time passwords (OTPs): Temporary codes sent via SMS, email, or generated by apps for one-time access.
   • Push notifications: Real-time alerts sent to users’ devices for login attempt verification.
4. Contextual and Convenience-Based Authentication
   • QR code scanning: Uses a mobile device’s camera to scan QR codes, streamlining authentication for users.

Adaptive security models offer real-time, context-driven assessments of access attempts. By dynamically adjusting security requirements based on user behavior and risk factors, organizations can reduce friction for trusted users while swiftly mitigating potential threats. Continuous verification through advanced techniques ensures that even during an active session, user identity remains validated.

A comprehensive, layered approach to authentication not only defends against unauthorized access, but also offers the flexibility to tailor security protocols based on the sensitivity of data and access requirements. This balance between robust security and user convenience empowers organizations to adapt to evolving threats while maintaining a seamless user experience.

Elevating Security with Biometric Security Keys

Biometric security keys, combining physical devices with biometric data, offer a powerful combination of robust security and user-friendly access. Designed for high-security roles and sensitive environments that often restrict the use ofmobile devices, these keys ensure that only verified users can gain entry, while simultaneously eliminating the complexities of password management.

Organizations handling sensitive data or operating in restricted areas, such as customer contact centers, benefit greatly from biometric security for passwordless MFA. By combining a user’s biometric data—such as a fingerprint or facial recognition—with a physical device, this two-factor authentication method provides both high security and intuitive usability.

This approach is particularly beneficial in environments where traditional authentication methods may be compromised or where strict compliance requirements necessitate heightened security measures. In environments using shared workstations or that have a single account accommodating multiple users, significant cost savings can be achieved by adopting biometric security keys issued to a device and supporting a “register once, use anywhere” method versus issuing keys to individuals.

Key Benefits of Biometric Security Keys

• Enhanced protection: Strengthens security by preventing unauthorized access.
• Reduced risk of credential theft: Minimizes risks associated with credential sharing or theft.
• Improved user experience: Simplifies access compared to complex password policies, making it user-friendly.
• Compliance with security regulations: Meets strict compliance requirements for high-security environments.
• Auditability: Facilitates detailed auditing for sensitive operations, ensuring accountability and security traceability, even when multiple users share a device or account.

Seamless Compatibility Across IT Ecosystems

Modern authentication solutions must seamlessly integrate with existing systems to prevent disruptive overhauls. Compatibility with platforms such as Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and integration with privileged access and identity governance tools enable consistent security across enterprise applications, operating systems, and devices. This ensures robust and uniform security measures throughout diverse and complex IT environments.

Global Reach and Rapid Deployment

For multinational organizations, maintaining a consistent and secure authentication framework is essential. Solutions that offer rapid deployment, regional availability, and extensive credential verification provide comprehensive security coverage across diverse geographies. This enables organizations to quickly enhance their security posture while effectively supporting a diverse, global workforce. With flexibility and scalability, these solutions are ideally suited to bolster security across various geographical regions and complex IT environments.

Preparing for the Future

To remain secure and adaptable, businesses must look beyond immediate needs and prepare for future trends in identity management. This means embracing strategies adopting zero-trust models, 3 decentralized identities, and AI-driven threat detection—all while keeping the focus on making the user experience as simple and secure as possible.

As organizations continue their digital transformation journeys, enhancing workforce security is a strategic imperative that transcends individual technologies or products. Moving beyond traditional passwords and outdated onboarding practices, companies must embrace identity verification and passwordless MFA. By prioritizing seamless integration, offering diverse authentication methods tuned to business risk, and aligning with global regulatory and interoperability standards, companies can build secure, scalable environments that protect their workforce and sensitive data.

The future of workforce authentication is not simply about adopting new technology—it’s about creating a cohesive, trusted digital ecosystem that balances security with user experience. As this e-book has highlighted, the journey toward passwordless authentication offers not only enhanced protection, but also improved productivity and a strategic edge in the evolving cybersecurity landscape. By staying ahead of emerging threats and aligning security initiatives with business goals, organizations can lead the way in transforming workforce security for the modern era.