Page 191 - Cyber Defense eMagazine March 2024

Traditional Access Control is Outdated

How passwordless authentication and conditional access shine as beacons of hope, signaling a
safer, more user-friendly future for digital access

By Denny LeCompte, CEO, Portnox

In the fast-paced and evolving landscape of cybersecurity, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs)
are under immense pressure to minimize risks, optimize budgets, and adapt to increasingly sophisticated
threats. One area of critical concern is access control. With the Cambrian explosion of IoT, the rapid
adoption of bring your own device (BYOD) policies, and the expansion of networks in all directions,
traditional mechanisms of access control simply aren't up to the task anymore. Today's cybersecurity
landscape demands more robust solutions. Enter the revolution we've been waiting for: passwordless
authentication and conditional access.

The Shortcomings of Traditional Access Control

At the epicenter of our cybersecurity conundrum lies the antiquated mechanism of traditional access
control. Predominantly reliant on static passwords, it predicates its security on users' capacity to
remember and secure intricate combinations of alphanumeric and special characters. Despite its
longstanding position as the linchpin of cybersecurity, this mechanism carries with it a host of
vulnerabilities.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – March 2024 Edition 191
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