In the modern age, more business than ever is being conducted online. Even companies that exist in the physical sphere have an online presence, with over 70 percent of businesses having at least a website. Most advertising occurs on the internet as well, with approximately $365 billion spent on digital advertising in 2020 alone. To take advantage of the thriving online world, companies often need to have shared accounts among employees to work on their virtual presence. In the past, this has been seen as a needless security risk, but it is now more important than ever.
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Who Needs to Use Shared Accounts?
There are countless reasons why people need to use shared accounts nowadays. Aside from couples sometimes choosing to do so, it is mostly done in business. There could be shared accounts for dealing with administrative tasks in the business, such as sending out newsletters or handling wages. Staff members could log on to a platform using the same credentials, or they may have a company social media page that is run by various people. Some analysts, such as Jason Hong, a professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, have stated that we need to move away from the notion of one account belonging to one user, as the future of computing will involve people interacting with the same things in virtual spaces. Therefore, technology needs to progress in ensuring that shared accounts remain safe and secure.
How Can you Keep These Accounts Secure?
Keeping a personal account online comes with a myriad of issues, and these are amplified when multiple people need to share passwords. Security has been one of the main stumbling blocks for the move towards shared accounts for employees in the business. This is because the more people that have access to an email or social media account, the greater the risk of breaches. There could be a solution to this problem, however. MFA for shared accounts is superior to two-factor authentication because it relies on biometric identification. That means that individual users simply have to scan their face or fingerprint to gain access to the work account. It eliminates the need for people to remember passwords and means that only authorised personnel can get in.
Is This the Future of the Workplace?
Experts believe that the majority of businesses will exist online in the future, meaning that it is essential to adapt and prepare for this reality now. Internet businesses can operate without borders, and employees could theoretically be from different countries around the world. If these people are required to log into shared accounts, companies will require a smooth system that allows them to do so. Biometrics will be key to ensuring that companies can keep their accounts safe and only allow approved people to access important materials.
Workplaces need to start adapting to the necessity of shared accounts, as more aspects of a business are conducted online. Security protocols should be the most important thing to consider, with biometric technology appearing to be the solution to keeping these accounts safe.
