ABSTRACT
Authentication is the most readily recognized aspect of cybersecurity for most users, being encountered and used multiple times per day across various devices and services. It is fundamentally about ensuring that the right people have access, by checking that they are who they are claiming to be. The usability of an authentication technique or process is typically not tied to just one aspect. Various factors are likely to influence the usability perceived by the user, which may include elements such as mental effort, convenience, applicability, and flexibility. Biometrics takes the mental effort away, but are often less applicable and offer very limited potential for changing them. Usability is a long-established consideration for authentication and is often an implicit driver behind many of the techniques. If authentication is the most familiar form of security, then it is safe to say that passwords are the most familiar form of authentication. Browser-based automation also extends to creating passwords for new sites and services.
