Ping Identity Predicts Ascent of Facial Biometrics, Blockchain Identities in 2018

It’s going to be a big year for facial biometrics and blockchain identities, according to Ping Identity’s top five cybersecurity predictions for the year.

First among those predictions is the identity security firm’s assertion that facial recognition will go mainstream. Like many others in the authentication and mobile industries, Ping Identity sees the introduction of Apple’s Face ID 3D facial recognition system last autumn as a transformative development, asserting that its integration into the iPhone X meant that facial biometrics “officially stole the spotlight,” according to its announcement of its 2018 predictions. With Samsung looking to follow suit, Ping Identity says, face-based authentication “will take off this year.”

Another major prediction from Ping Identity is that digital identity will also increasingly be based on blockchain platforms. As the firm explains, the identities used in cryptocurrency exchanges are based on public keys, while those used in the virtual wallets for such currencies are based on private keys. “In 2018, we will see these blockchain identities being used for non-crypto identity-related uses,” the company says.

Other major predictions include an increase in cyberattacks targeting multi-factor authentication, increasing use of passive authentication mechanisms, and, of course, the death of the password and other knowledge-based authentication mechanisms.