Security Magazine logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • MANAGEMENT
  • PHYSICAL
  • CYBER
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • SECTORS
  • EVENTS
  • MEDIA
  • MORE
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Security Newswire
  • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
  • Leadership Management
  • Enterprise Services
  • Security Education & Training
  • Logical Security
  • Security & Business Resilience
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
  • Access Management
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Identity Management
  • Physical Security
  • Video Surveillance
  • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
  • Cybersecurity News
  • More
  • COLUMNS
  • Cyber Tactics
  • Leadership & Management
  • Security Talk
  • Career Intelligence
  • Leader to Leader
  • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Annual Guarding Report
  • Most Influential People in Security
  • The Security Benchmark Report
  • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
  • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
  • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
  • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
  • Banking/Finance/Insurance
  • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
  • Education: K-12
  • Education: University
  • Government: Federal, State and Local
  • Hospitality & Casinos
  • Hospitals & Medical Centers
  • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
  • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
  • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
  • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
  • Industry Events
  • Webinars
  • Solutions by Sector
  • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
  • MORE
  • Call for Entries
  • Classifieds & Job Listings
  • Continuing Education
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsor Insights
  • Store
  • White Papers
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • This Month's Content
  • Advertise
Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
CybersecurityManagementSecurity NewswireSecurity Enterprise ServicesSecurity Leadership and ManagementLogical SecuritySecurity & Business ResilienceSecurity Education & TrainingAccess ManagementCybersecurity News

What makes an identity? 

By Kimberly Biddings
biometrics-freepik1170x658.jpg
April 14, 2022

As organizations work to prioritize cybersecurity and develop trust in online interactions, innovative solutions to identity and access management (IAM) are emerging to create convenient and secure systems for authentication. Companies are looking for methods to manage access, stop data breaches, and have confidence in the identity of the person completing any transaction. Maintaining control over who can access what and where they are able to gain access is key for an organization to secure its data and protect its reputation. But while some methods for verification allow the company to manage access, others dilute their control over security and fall short of actually verifying an individual’s identity. 


Methods used in multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authorization (MFA) methods have become the industry standard and commonly employ a mix of passwords, one-time passwords (OTP) sent to a different device or biometric measurements. By using a combination of these, companies can reduce the threat of a data breach by 80-90%. Professionals think of these as three categories for authentication, things you know, things you have, and things you are. Passwords and safety questions are things you know. These methods are particularly susceptible to phishing and need to be backed up with another method. OTPs and physical tokens are based on things you have. By sending a passcode to another device, you prove you possess access to that device. Of course, tokens and phones can be handed off or misplaced, and confirming a device is not the same as confirming the person using it. 


Identity-bound biometric measurements give the user a convenient way to authenticate who they are. Fingerprints, voice recognition, and other biometric methods are nontransferable; they can’t be lost, stolen, or faked. But beyond a secure method for authentication and the convenience for the user, companies are also considering the best ways to manage access and retain control over the integrity of their cybersecurity practices. 


Device-based and identity-bound approaches 

Even with biometric authentication methods, organizations need to understand differences in the level of security device-based biometrics offer versus identity-bound approaches. One of the key security differences is who has control over the biometric enrollment. With device-based biometrics, the power of enrollment is given to the user rather than the company. The user’s identity is enrolled and stored on the device, giving anyone with access to the device the ability to enroll additional users. When companies surrender the power of enrollment, they develop a security blind spot. They can verify that an enrolled user acted on an approved device, but this falls short of the company actually confirming that the enrolled user is the authorized user they intend to have access. What is being verified is an encrypted key from a device that ultimately has no direct connection to the person themselves. 


Identity-bound biometrics have users enroll their biometric measurements, which the organization then stores. For example, the data from a fingerprint is enrolled with the company, encrypted, algorithmically changed, and stored to be paired with the input from a user logging in, going through the same encryption and algorithmic process. By centralizing the biometric templates, organizations gain two distinct advantages. First, they can grant or restrict access to a single user across multiple devices and locations. This means that the authentication needed to log in can be verified from any device rather than enrolling a user onto every device they need access to, giving the user the flexibility to switch from device to device without re-enrollment. This agility and convenience are especially important when a worker deals with sensitive information, like financial statements across multiple locations.


Second, centralized enrollment also closes the security gap present in device-based options where unauthorized enrollments are possible based on access to the device. By maintaining the power to choose who has and does not have access centrally rather than on the device, unauthorized users cannot exploit device access to gain entry to the system at large. 


While biometrics offer a secure way to confirm a person’s identity, how that data is stored and managed impacts its level of security and, even more importantly, its integrity. In order to build trust and maintain a good reputation, companies need to factor in their own visibility into the identity of users accessing their systems beyond what a person knows or what they own and into the realm of actually verifying who they are. By keeping the power of enrollment, companies can stop data breaches or leaks, manage access across platforms and devices, and trust that the user is whom they say they are.  

KEYWORDS: authentication biometrics cyber security data protection multi-factor authentication risk management

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Kimberly Biddings has more than 10 years of cybersecurity and identity and access management (IAM) market knowledge and experience, gained across multiple authentication and cybersecurity firms. As VP of Product at Bio-key International, Biddings is focused on driving growth. Biddings is a thought leader and advocate for evolving the way organizations and people approach cybersecurity.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Technologies & Solutions
    By: Charles Denyer
close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already Registered? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

Half closed laptop

Sudo Vulnerability Discovered, May Exposes Linux Systems

Person holding cellphone

Millions of Android, iPhone Users Could Be Sending Data to China

Events

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

August 27, 2025

Risk Mitigation as a Competitive Edge

In today’s volatile environment, a robust risk management strategy isn’t just a requirement—it’s a foundation for organizational resilience. From cyber threats to climate disruptions, the ability to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to disruption is becoming a hallmark of industry leaders.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • biometrics-freepik1170x658v8502.jpg

    The new workplace imperative: Authenticate anywhere, access everywhere

    See More
  • Generic Image for Leadership Topic

    What Makes a Great Security Leader?

    See More
  • data-center

    What Happens When 'Tool Sprawl' Makes IT Security Operations Too Complex

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • physical security.webp

    Physical Security Assessment Handbook An Insider’s Guide to Securing a Business

  • 9780367259044.jpg

    Understanding Homeland Security: Foundations of Security Policy

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!