Delinea survey unveils progress towards a passwordless future

Delinea, a prominent provider of solutions that seamlessly extend Privileged Access Management (PAM), has released the findings of a survey conducted at the 2023 BlackHat USA Conference. The results highlight the enduring significance of password security, even as the realm of cybersecurity moves steadily toward a passwordless paradigm. Out of the 100 business hall attendees polled, 54% affirmed the viability of the “passwordless” concept, while an overwhelming 79% concurred that passwords are undergoing transformation or heading towards obsolescence.

When inquired about their methods of password protection, the majority of the surveyed attendees revealed their reliance on additional authentication measures to bolster the security of their credentials and identities. A notable 73% employ various forms of multi-factor authentication (MFA), with 57% specifically mentioning their use of an authenticator app, and 40% utilizing biometrics. More than half (52%) employ password managers, and 34% utilize PAM solutions to securely store their passwords. Notably, 21% have embraced passkeys as an alternative or supplement to traditional passwords.

Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO at Delinea, remarked, “The findings of this survey indicate a comprehension of the term ‘passwordless’ that transcends mere marketing language,

highlighting the shift of passwords to a secondary role in favor of simpler and additional authentication methods.” He emphasized the importance of this understanding in light of the fact that 75% of respondents recognized social engineering and stolen identities/passwords as the swiftest routes to network access. Carson further noted, “The swifter organizations and end users adapt their identity and access security beyond passwords, the greater our societal safety.”

The survey also unveiled the perception that organizations are trailing behind nation-states and cybercriminals in the ongoing cyber warfare. A mere 12% of participants believed that organizations currently outpace countries and criminals in this domain.

Regarding the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) programs, the survey yielded diverse viewpoints. About 34% opined that it’s still the early days and current AI iterations don’t truly represent AI, while 22% asserted that an AI takeover is already underway. A modest 11% expressed unwavering confidence that AI will never supplant human control.

BlackHat USA, an internationally acclaimed cybersecurity event, is renowned for its technical and pertinent information security research. Among the attendees surveyed by Delinea, 36% identified themselves as members of security teams, 21% as CIO/CISO/CTOs, and 12% as IT team members or administrators.