Blog Posts

Anyone who has seen me on a panel about technology talent or innovation (or even seen me sitting in the audience when there’s a mic nearby) will know I have strong views on how and where the capital markets (and other areas of the financial services industry, I’m sure) are going wrong in trying to attract and retain tech staff. This is not about offering individuals the ability to wear a pair of jeans to work—a shift in mindset and even policy is required.

First, there were just usernames. Then came usernames and passwords. Then came multifactor authentication (MFA), which requires something you know, such as a username and password; something you have, such as a one-time password token; or something you are, such as biometrics using your fingerprint or a retina scan. Now frictionless identity access management (IAM) is the “soup du jour” as companies work to make MFA more effortless for the end user. Many of the chief information security officers with whom I've spoken attribute the lack of MFA adoption in the enterprise and in web applications to the amount of friction it causes for the end user.