European Startups and the Passwordless Future

Written by Ray Fernandez

Creative paper boat | Getty Images

Passwords are on the way out, and newer, easier, faster and more secure ways to log into accounts are already well established and gaining traction. Recently, Paypal, Microsoft, Apple and Google all switched to passwords, ending the long-standing reign of passwords.

All tech companies and organizations need to keep up with the big tech trend. Based on FIDO Alliance standards, Access Keys replace passwords with cryptographic key pairs stored on devices that can integrate with Face ID, Touch ID and other biometric features for seamless authentication .

When Ján Lunter, CEO of Bratislava-based Innovatrics, started working in the field over 15 years ago, biometrics was primarily associated with law enforcement. “Today you use biometrics every day, all the time,” says Lunter. "Biometrics has entered our lives and the number of use cases has grown exponentially."

Lunter has seen firsthand the acceleration of biometric technology in Europe and around the world. Over the years, he has worked with top industry experts to develop complex identification algorithms that today are praised by global standards and rankings for their precision and accuracy. But when it comes to implementing the passwordless future, Lunter says it's not as complex as many think, and every startup can do it.

“The standards for providing secure, passwordless, and often biometric-based access already exist,” says Lunter. "The passwordless future is pretty much certain, and big players are doing a lot to get to it as quickly as possible."

Biometrics in three steps: cloud, registration and unification.

Big companies and corporations are rapidly implementing passwordless features and standing out in a highly competitive market. But how can European startups - operating with more limited resources - begin their biometric journey and reap the benefits of the new trend?

Lunter outlines three stages that can serve as a model for companies to make the change: cloud, registration, and database unification.

Lunter claims that contrary to popular belief, moving to a passwordless future isn't that expensive. Cloud providers, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), or Oracle Cloud, offer various built-in biometric features that allow developers to quickly deploy passwordless authentication to their sites, applications, and services .

Major cloud providers "provide everything needed, using whatever hardware is available, like fingerprint readers in laptops or built-in cameras for facial recognition," says Lunter.

Biometric technology in the cloud is not only state-of-the-art and easily accessible, but it can also save maintenance time and reduce hardware and software costs. Additionally, scaling in the cloud takes just a few clicks, while scaling to on-premises digital assets can be extremely expensive. Finally, running biometric applications with leading cloud providers ensures a high level of security.

The second step is enrollment, how your company collects biometric data. This process should be as painless as possible. Ideally, the best way is to develop a user-friendly application. Enrollment involves capturing biometric samples and processing them to create a biometric template. Templates are stored and used for authentication. Enrollment will also be defined by the cloud a company chooses to work with and the features it provides.

Another key issue to consider when registering is user consent. Startups should always provide alternative forms of authentication for users who prefer not to use voice ID, fingerprint ID, or face ID. Additionally, startups should consider that a user can give consent today but cancel later. Therefore, the storage of biometric data and databases should be easily searched to remove any pattern. It is also essential to comply with personal data security and data protection laws.

Finally, the third step is to simplify and unify biometric databases. “It's great if a single biometric database can provide multiple services — opening physical doors in a building, recording attendance, recording employee payroll, security clearance, and passwordless logins,” says Lunter. "If each system required separate registration, the overhead of data monitoring and maintenance would soon be...