Biometrics add another layer of security to passwordless authentication

• Okta slams workers for using poor passwords like ‘123456’
• Biometric authentication is popular in Israel and South Korea
• Half of Germany’s businesses enforce biometric authentication

Okta’s Business At Work 2025 report has uncovered the growing adoption of passwordless authentication, with many European countries leading the way when it comes to enhanced security.

“For the one-millionth year in a row, 123456 is the world’s most popular password,” the company jovially wrote as it sought to understand the shifts in business security.

With traditional passwords remaining some of the weakest links across the world of work, Okta explored how companies are shifting to stronger phishing-resistant authentication methods, which are increasingly deployed with biometric barriers.

Passwordless logins are becoming more common

Specifically, Okta uncovered how France leads the way when it comes to the total number of FastPass authentications – the company’s own phishing-resistant, passwordless authenticator solution. Israel, Germany, South Korea, and Canada were found to be using biometric-enhanced passwordless authentication 21% of the time, with the UK and Australia coming in a close joint-second at 20%.

The change is largely being led by organizations, with nearly half (49%) of German respondents stating that their company enforces biometric authentication for enhanced security.

On the flip side, Okta stated that the US trails “most of [its] featured nations” in the report, with just 17% leveraging biometrics. Bizarrely, FastPass leader France actually had the least amount of biometric logins as a percentage, at just 12%.

In the space of a year, Okta FastPass authentications have risen 377%, with biometric authentications shooting up a still-considerable 288%. macOS is the most commonly used platform for biometrics, accounting for 18% of all FastPass authentications, with Windows sitting at just 13%. Apple’s dominance is reversed when it comes to mobile devices, with 14% using biometrics on iOS compared with 21% of Android users.

Although more secure authentication methods are prevailing, Okta did note a 23% year-over-year increase in email-based authentication. Happily, this is down from the 155% rise seen last year – “We’ll call it a win,” the company said in the report.

Looking ahead, it’s clear that companies are getting on board with biometric authentication for a more secure and convenient future, but device compatibility issues, limited IT resources, and budgets will continue to present hurdles along the way.

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