Cyber Security

An organisation or company in a cloud environment experiences many challenges and threats from unauthorised access that aims to dig and steal company information. The ways to prevent this problem from happening are quite diverse, but recognising adaptive authentication to become your company’s security shield is necessary because it provides an extra layer of protection and keeps your cloud better and safer. However, using this mechanism certainly has benefits and limitations that you must know to enable effective authorisation. Here is a detailed explanation of Adaptive Authentication (AA) and how it can integrate into your security architecture.

What is adaptive authentication?

Adaptive authentication is a proactive security mechanism organisations, especially those in the remote working industry, use to enhance credential verification. Its primary function is to provide enhanced protection by verifying user identity and determining authorised levels based on various considerations. Analysing device status, user behaviour within the organisation, and user location can determine whether a user can log in based on the authorisation policies in place. While it shares similarities with standard authentication methods like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), adaptive authentication offers stronger protection and operates on a multi-layered approach, giving you a proactive stance against potential security threats. 

How does adaptive authentication work?

Security mechanisms such as adaptive authentication use a risk score feature that determines several system criteria. Some users can log in for authentication, but are restricted from accessing their data if they have a high risk score. In the initial process, this mechanism creates a user profile and asks for important information such as location, role, and registered device.

So, when someone new accesses the cloud, it will be evaluated first with the previously taken data and give the user logging in a risk score. Therefore, not just anyone can access devices with strong security mechanisms such as adaptive authentication.

Why is adaptive authentication important?

Making more effort to protect your data is necessary to prevent adverse impacts from information leaks and data breaches, especially when managing user credentials. Other effects if you do not make security improvements, such as double or adaptive authentication, are that the weak points of your devices and networks will also become apparent. Using a mechanism system that keeps your device safe, you can feel safer and not fear the adverse effects on your organisation. 

Benefits of adaptive authentication

Using a system to protect your cloud is important and necessary for an organisation. Here are the benefits of using adaptive authentication.

Enhanced user experience

Adaptive authentication is designed with the user in mind, adjusting the required security level based on the perceived risk of user actions. This makes it more efficient and user-friendly. For instance, it minimises user friction by not requiring additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), when users interact with the system in low-risk scenarios or are deemed trustworthy. This means that legitimate users are not inconvenienced by unnecessary security hurdles, making it a solution that will be well-received by your organisation’s users.

Improved security

Adaptive authentication is vital to improving organisations’ security because it is risk-based authentication and can be done with minimal attack surface. By using this mechanism, you can only have fewer users, greater security with many layers of protection, and lower barriers of entry to prevent cyber attacks that try to enter your device.

Scalability

Not only is adaptive authentication used by organisations generally, but it is also very beneficial when used for remote companies with many users in different locations, even within a global range. Therefore, this mechanism is device-agnostic and capable of working across user devices, including mobile and desktop devices, to support diverse user groups.

Regulatory compliance

Many industries, such as healthcare, finance, and government, are subject to strict regulatory requirements for user authentication and data access architecture. Adaptive authentication helps ensure compliance with standards like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), and others by providing a secure, flexible authentication solution that can meet these regulations’ demands.

Adaptive authentication and machine learning

Adaptive authentication often uses machine learning algorithms to continuously monitor and adapt to user behaviour, ensuring a secure baseline for access. It can learn over time what a user’s typical behaviour is and adjust its risk detection model accordingly, making it harder for attackers to bypass the system. With machine learning, it’s harder for someone who doesn’t have access to log in to the device, making this security mechanism superior in defending data in the cloud.

Challenges and limitations

Before you use a security system, you need to understand its challenges and limitations to determine whether the mechanism suits your organisation and user roles.

False positives and negatives

In the application of adaptive authentication, it is also not uncommon to encounter false positives and false negatives on your network. False positives occur when legitimate users are incorrectly flagged as suspicious or fraudulent, requiring them to undergo additional authentication steps. On the other hand, a False Negative occurs when malicious actors bypass adaptive authentication checks and gain access, as their actions are incorrectly deemed secure. Both can lead to critical security risks and a poor user experience.

Data privacy concerns

Collecting and processing this sensitive information can raise significant data privacy concerns. This is because adaptive authentication does require a lot of important personal information, such as location and other devices. Users within the organisation feel uncomfortable with constant surveillance, especially if their data is shared with third parties or not adequately secured.

Compliance with regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) is a major consideration. These regulations require companies to ensure they have the proper consent and protection measures to protect user data.

Cost and complexity

With a slightly higher price tag, it uses a security system in a cloud environment, so you may need to consider budgeting in your organisation. The features provided by adaptive authentication are quite comprehensive because they use advanced risk-based models and connect with machine learning algorithms to fit the budget. In addition, Adaptive authentication systems can be complex to configure, especially when businesses need to consider different risk scenarios, compliance regulations, and varying user behaviour.

Why should organisations use adaptive authentication?

Organisations should consider using adaptive authentication for protection, as a company that requires storing a lot of personal data and also stores company archive secrets. This system implements authentication policies that are part of the zero-trust security approach. So, not all users can immediately get access with a username and password.

How can organisations use adaptive authentication?

Organisations adopt adaptive authentication to enhance security and improve user experience by dynamically adjusting authentication requirements based on real-time risk assessment. This approach offers a more nuanced and flexible security posture than traditional, static authentication methods. Risk-based authentication, Adaptive MFA, and Mobile and Remote Access Protection are various ways to apply it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

In conclusion, adaptive authentication offers a dynamic, risk-based approach to securing access. It ensures that users experience minimal friction during low-risk interactions while strengthening security in high-risk scenarios. Adaptive authentication helps organisations’ resources without burdening legitimate users with unnecessary authentication steps by evaluating factors such as location, device, and behaviour in real time.

With this explanation of adaptive authentication, including its benefits and limitations, you can consider whether this security system will work well in your organisation.