The modern science of identity verification has become more and more important as data breaches and other security flaws are increasingly a concern for companies of all sizes. The safety and security of your employees and customers when accessing sensitive data or even physical areas is paramount. There are several security must-dos, from choosing the right provider to implementing the right methods to protect your data. Here’s a list of recommendations that will help you ensure you avoid the most common identity verification mistakes.
Key Identity Verification Problems
Relying On Legacy Systems: While we alluded to this before, it bears repeating how much of a security risk it is to be overly reliant on legacy identity verification systems. Many companies opt for these due either to concerns about compatibility with their other systems or not wanting to shoulder the financial or logistical cost of changing to a new system. Keep in mind the financial losses incurred from a data breach, both in terms of lost clients as well as regulatory fines, are going to be far more costly than the installation of a new system.
Not Accounting For All Costs: On the topic of money and identity verification, when you do decide to upgrade, you need to make sure that you don’t accidentally end up blowing through your budget. This is especially common for people who end up buying identity verification software versus opting for IDaaS (Identity as a Service). Buying your own software means that your company is on the hook for things like server costs, installations and upgrades, as well as an IT team to help maintain the service. Failing to pay for these opens you up to a lot of the same security flaws as using legacy platforms. In general, IDaaS is a lot easier to keep under control because it supplies all of these services under a single subscription.
Not Testing Before You Buy: This may surprise you, but many companies look into new identity verification solutions without ever really doing any appropriate testing. Sometimes, it’s due to vendor resistance, in which case you should look for an alternative. However, some companies that do look for tests end up not going far enough when it comes to the process. Ideally, to really understand the scope of a verification system, you want to test legitimate IDs, IDs under bad lighting or other circumstances, as well as fraudulent IDs.
Ignoring The User Experience: While accuracy matters most when it comes to identity verification, make sure that the UX for your system is user-friendly as well. For example, in situations where an image may be caught at a tilt or in bad lighting, use a solution that allows course-correction. This can be difficult for purely-automated solutions.
Not Using A Versatile Solution: Some identity verification systems are optimized to operate on a specific set of devices, but it’s recommended that you consider your business’ needs and choose a balanced solution. . While you are testing, use both desktop and mobile devices to ensure they are easy to use, especially if someone needs to repeatedly access sensitive data in a given period of time.
Failing To Keep Future Trends In Mind: Opting for IDaaS means you’re already future-proofed, given that your necessary upgrades will be included in the service. With this said, there are other trends in verification to be aware of, like advanced biometrics. Before you buy, ask your provider what their plans are for things like:
– Thumbprint scans
– Retinal scans
– Facial recognition
As it becomes more and more important to protect your data/systems against malicious actors, make sure your long-term financial investment is matched with a provider’s long-term commitment to excellence.
Not all of these issues are going to be easy to catch at first, but that’s okay. The best course of action is doing your due diligence while working with different identity verification providers to find the ideal match.
