IT leaders want to eliminate passwords

MobileIron has revealed the results of a survey conducted with IDG, which found that enterprise users and security professionals alike are frustrated by the inefficiency and lax security of passwords for user authentication. With 90% of security professionals reporting to have seen unauthorized access attempts as a result of stolen credentials, it’s clear that that the future of security requires a next generation of authentication that’s more secure.

 

Mobile devices are the best option for replacing passwords, as they remain at the centre of enterprises in terms of where business is done, how access is given, and how authentication is done. In fact, the survey revealed that almost nine-in-ten (88%) security leaders believe that mobile devices will soon serve as digital ID to access enterprise services and data.

 

The survey, sponsored by MobileIron, polled 200 IT security leaders in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand working in a range of industries at companies with at least 500 employees. The aim was to discover the major authentication pain points facing enterprises.

 

“It’s time to say goodbye to passwords. They not only cause major frustrations for users and IT professionals, but they also pose major security risks,” said Rhonda Shantz, Chief Marketing Officer at MobileIron. “That’s why MobileIron is ushering in a new era of user authentication with a mobile ID and zero sign-on experience from any device, any OS, any location, to any service. With more and more users accessing apps and company data via their own mobile devices, it’s not only easier to leverage mobile devices than passwords for user authentication – it’s also much more secure.”

 

The perils of passwords:

• 90% of security pros have seen unauthorized access attempts as a result of stolen credentials.
• Security leaders estimate that they could reduce their risk of breach by almost half by eliminating passwords
• Two out of every five (41%) of helpdesk tickets result from password or multi-factor authentication (MFA) lockout
• Password lockout sentiment for end-users: 68% feel disrupted; 63% feel irritated; 62% feel frustrated; 62% feel that they have wasted time
• Almost half (45%) of all end-users reuse personal and corporate passwords, which does not comport with security best-practices.
• Security leaders estimate that they could reduce their risk of breach by almost half (43%) simply by eliminating passwords
• Almost every security leader (86%) would do away with passwords if they could
• Almost three-in-four (72%) security leaders are actively looking to replace passwords

 

The merits of mobile:

• Almost nine-in-ten (88%) security leaders believe that in the near future, mobile devices will serve as your digital ID to access enterprise services and data.
• About two-in-five end-users (42%) need daily access to mobile business apps, but that number is expected to grow significantly in the next two years.
  • Almost all organizations saw the use of business apps expand last year (85%)
  • Almost all organizations expect to see continued expansion in the next 2 years (87%)
  • Millennials are driving demand for broader access to business apps on mobile devices (94% vs. 73% non-Millennials)