Customers typically use multiple access channels when engaging with companies, and it’s likely that each channel will involve a different way to authenticate.
The reason for having authentication is not to force a multitude of authentication methods on customers, however. That’s a surefire way to alienate them. The goal is to ensure secure access while not negatively affecting user experience. Companies need to unify the customer experience using multi-factor authentication (MFA) to improve security assurance as well as user experience.
To appreciate the need for unification, it helps to understand the concept of authentication fragmentation. As described in the iovation book, “Multi-Factor Authentication for Dummies,” the authentication experience today for both business users and consumers is fragmented across a variety of channels. The result is a poor outcome for everyone involved in the process. Download the eBook.