Biometrics for Remote Desktop: Enhancing Security and Convenience

In today’s digital world, secure remote access to various devices is necessary for both businesses and ordinary users.

However, the question arises of the security of a remote connection and the preservation of confidential information transmitted in this way.

At the current level of technology development, traditional authentication methods, such as passwords, are no longer sufficient to protect access. Therefore, more advanced methods of countering cybercriminals have begun to be developed, such as biometric user authentication.

In this article, we will examine modern methods of accessing remote devices, the advantages of biometrics over traditional authentication methods, and how to implement access to remote devices using biometric authentication.

Biometrics explained

Biometric authentication identifies a user using unique data, such as a person’s physical or behavioural characteristics.

Physical characteristics include:

Fingerprints have been used to identify people long before the digital age, so it’s a logical choice for biometrics. Fingerprint identification is cheap, accessible and usually highly accurate.
Vein recognition is more secure than fingerprint identification because vein patterns, being subcutaneous, can not be changed.
Retinal or iris scanning are popular biometric login methods. The user looks into the eye reader, which can analyze the iris pattern or retinal structure to match the user’s approved profile.
Face recognition is a well-known option, a security measure that has been used for many years in large-scale environments that require strict security, such as casinos. Today, technology is so advanced that even many phones can map critical points on a person’s face to match their personality.
Ear recognition is identifying a person by the unique shape of the ear.
Matching a user’s DNA whenever they want to access a system may be considered too invasive. Still, there is no denying the high effectiveness of DNA testing in identifying people.
Finger geometry is identifying a person by the unique shape of their hand or fingers.
Odour recognition identifies a person by their unique scent.
Voice recognition analyzes the sounds a person makes when speaking.

Some of the different types of behavioural biometrics include:

Keystroke recognition is a method of recording a person’s typing, including the speed at which the person types certain letters or words, to isolate and identify the person typing.
Gait recognition may only be effective in some situations. It can be an accurate identifier of a person.
Physiological biometrics are much more common because many unique physiological factors are relatively easy to track. This biometric analysis category analyzes the human body’s physical parameters, such as the face, fingerprints, hand geometry, retina, iris, and more.
Digital signatures compare a signature to an existing handwriting sample, and dynamic systems also track the movement of a person’s hand while writing.

You can forget your passwords or PINs, have them stolen, or share them with others, but biometric identifiers are unique to each person, making them a more secure authentication method.

The importance of security when accessing your desktop remotely

With secure remote access technologies, users can connect to remote devices from anywhere, with an Internet connection.

This creates security risks since unauthorized access can lead to data leaks, transactions and other fraudulent activities.

This is why the security of remote connections is so important.

Biometrics as a solution to improve security and convenience

Using biometric authentication enhances the security of remote connections by leveraging the user’s unique physical or behavioural characteristics. It also improves convenience and user experience.

Current situation with remote desktop access

Remote access to devices is becoming increasingly popular, and several objective factors facilitate this.

The rise of remote work culture

The culture of remote work is now actively growing. After the COVID-19 epidemic, many people realized that they could work from home without wasting time and money travelling to the office. This, in turn, created a demand for secure and convenient remote access tools.

However, traditional authentication methods (passwords or PINs mentioned above) no longer satisfy security requirements.

Problems with Traditional Authentication Methods

Passwords and PIN codes are vulnerable because online scammers can hack them using brute force and phishing and reuse passwords. Additionally, passwords can be easily forgotten, lost, or accidentally shared with others, compromising the security of remote connections.

As a result, organizations are looking for alternative authentication methods that offer more secure solutions while still being user-friendly.

Need for a more secure and convenient solution

A secure and convenient authentication method is essential to modern remote work. Organizations are looking for ways to balance strong security measures with ensuring a great employee experience.

Biometrics are great for these purposes.

Benefits of biometrics

There are many benefits to using biometrics as a form of access identification, including biometrics:

You cannot forget your fingerprints or eyes. If biometrics are the only means of authentication, a user can never be locked out if they have the right to access it. If you use multifactor authentication, the biometric factor is one less thing users need to remember.
People quickly and often leave access cards or pads containing passwords somewhere where they can be accessed by unwanted personnel. You cannot lose your biometric data through negligence, and it cannot be shared or stolen without causing physical harm to the user.
Unless the user colludes with an unauthorized person, you can be sure that the person using biometrics to gain access is who they say they are.
Most users will have no problem placing their finger on the fingerprint scanner or looking into the eye scanner. This process can be much faster and more convenient than searching for a different password or finding the correct way to insert your access card.

Although multiple biometrics can be used for identification, in most cases today, a single biometric combined with some other authentication factor, such as a key card, push notification, or password, is sufficient for secure access. While some companies with specific security concerns may require additional measures, it is often not cost-effective for a standard company to use more than one biometric authentication factor.