When To Boost Your Authentication Strategy: Signs for Security Enhancement

Authentication is undoubtedly one of the first encounters of a user when they land on your platform. Friction in the overall authentication process could be the reason for your users to switch to your competitors. 

A smooth authentication is the key to enhanced lead generation and conversion. Businesses are already leveraging cutting-edge tools and technologies to ensure their users get a streamlined experience throughout their onboarding process. 

However, when we talk about a reliable and frictionless authentication mechanism, every user expects that their personal information is collected, stored, and transferred securely. And they’re well aware of their privacy rights and current regulations while they share their sensitive details. 

On the other hand, cyber threats are evolving at a breakneck pace, which means organizations must stay one step ahead to safeguard their customers’ sensitive information, protect user privacy, and maintain trust. 

While many organizations have already deployed stringent authentication mechanisms, there comes a time when even these robust authentication measures need a boost. 

Let’s explore the signs indicating it’s high time to enhance your authentication strategy. 

Why Authentication Security Matters Now More Than Ever Before? 

We’re living in a modern digital world where global data security and privacy regulations are becoming more stringent, and customers are more aware of how enterprises handle sensitive information. Hence, authentication security can’t be overlooked. 

Enterprises relying on conventional password-based authentication are always vulnerable to cyber attacks. A breach of security or privacy of customers could not only lead to financial losses but eventually affect customer trust. 

On the other hand, every customer demands a seamless user experience from interacting with the platform/application. But that doesn’t mean they would ignore the overall security and privacy aspects. 

Creating a perfect harmony between user authentication experience and security is crucial for today’s modern digital business landscape. 

So far, we’ve learned about the importance of a robust authentication strategy; let’s uncover the signs that indicate your business needs to boost the same. 

#1. Frequent Data Breaches and Security Incidents

A history of data or security breach incidences is perhaps the most obvious sign that your authentication strategy needs to be upgraded. If your organization has experienced privacy breaches or sneaks, it indicates that your current authentication methods aren’t potent. 

Many organizations ignore the initial signs of data leaks and privacy breaches. This could result in financial losses, legal consequences, and overall reputational losses. 

To avoid these kinds of breaches and reputational losses, you should stay vigilant regarding any sneak and update your authentication security mechanism. 

#2. User Complaints About Security

If you’re hearing complaints from multiple users about the security of your system, it’s high time you need to pay attention. 

Users who are finding your authentication process cumbersome are likely to seek alternatives or abandon your services altogether. Hence, you must monitor user feedback and immediately address their security or privacy concerns. 

However, sometimes, users don’t complain regarding issues pertaining to privacy. And they prefer switching rather than raising an issue.  At this moment, it’s your responsibility to take timely feedback whenever you feel your customers are changing or no longer continuing their subscriptions. 

#3. Higher Customer Churn Rate

Higher customer churn rates may not necessarily mean that your customers aren’t interested in your products/services anymore. Sometimes, it’s about your poor customer authentication service. 

Users today are more concerned about their privacy. And a little loophole in managing their personal information without their consent can be the biggest flaw. 

It’s essential to notice a sudden shift in your customers since the rising number of cyberattacks and privacy breaches have impacted users. They switch quickly if they find something suspicious on your platform, especially when authenticating. 

#4. Regulatory Changes and Compliance Requirements

While global data security and privacy regulations, including the GDPR and CCPA, continuously evolve, maintaining compliance becomes crucial, especially when collecting customer data. 

These regulations are updated from time to time. Hence, you must ensure that you’re adhering to the compliance requirements of every law with respect to the country/state you’re catering your services to. 

Whether it’s the addition of multi-factor authentication or data encryption while in transit, enterprises must fulfill the needs of the regulations update frequently. Failing to do so may lead to hefty fines and, in some cases, damage the brand's reputation. 

Also, there could be a sudden change in some regulations, which requires immediate action. So, it’s always a good idea to stay updated on the latest regulation updates and try to implement them as soon as possible. 

#5. Increasing Sophistication of Cyberattacks 

A new market threat could cause big damage to your brand’s reputation if you’re not prepared well in advance to handle an attack. 

Admit it: the cybersecurity threat landscape continuously evolves, and cybercriminals are finding new ways to breach customer identities, business information, and sensitive user data. 

Hence, equipping your overall infrastructure with the latest security tools and technologies is perhaps the best decision to avoid a breach because it’s good to learn from others’ experiences. 

And when it comes to authentication security, you shouldn’t wait until you become a victim! Stay aware of the latest threat vectors and ensure you’re geared up to handle the same. 

#6. Lesser Conversions and Increased Cart Abandonment Rates

If you have a decent number of users on your application/ platform and you’re sure about your services/product, yet they aren’t converting, it could be a clear hint that something’s wrong with your authentication mechanism. 

Most of the time, customers get annoyed during the checkout process. They’re either asked to fill out huge registration forms or to share sensitive information, which might not be necessary to make the purchase. This leads to cart abandonment. 

A revolutionary authentication mechanism-social login with progressive profiling comes to the rescue at this moment! Social login helps users authenticate from their existing social accounts and, thus, shun the need to go through a long registration process. 

On the other hand, the progressive profiling feature in modern authentication mechanisms ensures every essential user detail is gradually collected over time. 

Final Thoughts 

In the ever-expanding modern digital landscape, where your customers are always on the radar of cybercriminals, the role of a robust authentication mechanism shouldn't be ignored. 

Recognizing the aforementioned signs and proactively upgrading your authentication methods can help safeguard your organization’s data, reputation, and financial stability in the long run.