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INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS and INNOVATION you want to read about

Hybrid work pushes to end

passwords

he 2021 Duo Trusted Access Report analysed data from more than
T36 million devices, over 400 thousand unique applications and roughly
800 million monthly authentications from across Duo’s global customer base.
It revealed how organisations across all industries are enabling work from
anywhere, on any device, by implementing controls to ensure secure access
to applications.
Biometrics were enabled on more than 71% of Duo customer mobile
phones, illustrating a rise in adoption driven by users’ growing acceptance of Fewer discounts expected on
non-traditional authentication methods and the accessibility of passwordless
hardware that they already carry in their pockets. Further eliminating the ‘Black Friday 2021’
need for users to retain a large cache of authentication passwords, Duo also
saw a fivefold increase in Web Authentication (WebAuthn) usage since April s South Africa heads towards Black Friday, it has been predicted
2019 when the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) first published the open Athat supply-chain disruption caused by COVID-19 could mean that
standard. WebAuthn enables biometrics to be securely stored and validated there’s insufficient stock to meet demand come 26 November.
locally on the device, as opposed to a centralised database. This is according to Sam Clarke, CEO at Skynamo, South African
Duo has been a champion of passwordless technology, driving provider of a field sales CRM and mobile ordering app for manufacturers
WebAuthn’s ratification as a member of the W3C working group and and distributors. “Around 90% of traded goods are transported via sea.
launching its infrastructure agnostic passwordless authentication product But, with bottle necks at ports due to the pandemic, the result could
in March 2021. be that knockout deals this year are fewer and far between. Similarly,
Moving away from passwords will significantly improve the login retailers’ profit margins are already being squeezed, so there are likely
experience for the vast majority of users – in turn leading to stronger to be fewer deals and smaller discounts on offer.”
security. More than half of organisations are planning to implement a It is expected that 66% of South Africans will participate in Black
passwordless strategy, according to the new survey of global IT decision Friday sales, either in the days leading up to it, on 26 November itself,
makers, conducted as part of the Trusted Access Report. Forty-six percent or on Cyber Monday. Products that are the most in demand include
of respondents said security issues related to compromised credentials clothing, shoes, groceries, electronics and home appliances. “However,
are the most frustrating or concerning aspect of dealing with passwords in this year Black Friday will be one like no other, as businesses and
their environment. retailers are faced with the challenge of meeting consumer demand
“We’ve now reached the point where the user experience is a security while facing shortages due to supply chain disruptions,” says Clarke.
control in and of itself,” said Dave Lewis, Global Advisory CISO at Cisco. “This means that it may be harder to source the items they need in
“Enterprises are moving toward new, more effective ways of handling access preparation for Black Friday. For example, cotton is in short supply
control and seeing in action how democratising security can go a long way worldwide, which affects the availability and price of certain clothing.”
in enabling hybrid workers to focus on their core competencies without One way for retailers to mitigate this is to ensure that they are
sacrificing security.” organised early. “In order to have enough stock of the bestsellers,
The importance of user-centric security that incorporates employee businesses should determine early what products they would like to
work patterns to keep resources accessible and out of reach for malicious discount and then speak to their suppliers as early as possible.
actors is reinforced by the recent Cisco Hybrid Work Index. The report If it’s unlikely that stock will arrive in time for Black Friday, retailers
showed that while there was a surge in VPN and secure remote access need to make sure that they have a back-up plan, adds Clarke. “Perhaps
at the onset of the pandemic, fraudulent access attempts grew 2,4 times have other merchandise on hand that you can sell instead. Similarly,
during the same time period and remains elevated 18 months later. Due to if items that customers order online are going to take a while to be
these threats, organisations are setting stricter policies to verify the trust delivered, make sure that this is communicated immediately to manage
of users and devices before granting access to applications. The number of their expectations or give them time to find an alternative.”
authentication failures due to out-of-date devices increased 33% between One way for retailers to circumvent supply issues is to offer a longer
2020 and 2021. lead time for delivery, says Clarke. “The other thing retailers can do is to
These are just a few of many findings in the 2021 Duo Trusted Access give customers the option to pick up their merchandise from a drop-off
Report. point rather than deliver door-to-door,” he says.
With the fourth wave of COVID-19 expected to hit in early
To download the report, please visit http://duo.sc/tar-2021. December, retailers will be wanting to maximise sales before Christmas,
which means Black Friday is perfectly timed. “Retailers will just have
to adjust their expectations in line with supply constraints and a more
muted shopping mood,” concludes Clarke.

For a look at how supply chain disruptions have affected South African
industries, follow Skynamo’s monthly Industry Thermometer updates of
sales order volumes captured by hundreds of their customers across 26
industries. https://skynamo.com/industry-thermometer-2021/

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