Network security can often compromise the smoothness and reliance with which websites and systems perform. This can make customers reluctant to apply such security options to their online activity. Here is how you can strike a balance between cybersecurity and user experience for the best of both worlds:
Educate Customers on Security Upgrades
In many instances, customers may struggle with certain security upgrades because they don't understand how they work. On a similar note, they may be unaware of the specific risks that have led to such upgrades. The result is a lack of enthusiasm regarding the latest changes. Educating the customer can make all the difference here.
Consider the techniques employed by a digital strategy and design agency. They used informational videos on various pages on a banking site to inform clients of various fraud practices as well as strategies to avoid them. Research showed that these tactics resonated with users, leading to a rise in more secure online transactions and activities.
Match Solutions to Your Customer Base
If you're a tech company that is specifically dealing with consumers with background in tech and cybersecurity, it would make sense to invest in a complex network security that has multiple layers. If your customer base spans numerous demographics, though, then this setup will not work.
Your solutions need to match the people who will be accessing your network. If you want to maintain a secure system that can be easily used by customers from all walks of life, then options such as single sign-on will be your best bet. This allows clients to utilize one set of credentials to gain access to multiple services and applications.
Best of all, the effectiveness of such a solution has had real-world success. Dick's Sporting Goods recently implemented this security strategy to ensure that customers can access their accounts swiftly and easily. In turn, this has allowed the company's staff to control access points without having to constantly deal with customer confusion.
Assess Security Risks for User Preferred Systems
If you are hesitant to move away from traditional, easier security options, it is a good idea to run a stress-test on the current system in place. This will help you to determine if there are weak points that can put your network at increased risk of common security threats in the industry.
In case the system holds up well, then it can continue with it. If you have been able to identify certain issues, then you can patch these up while leaving the current system in place. However, if there are just too many holes in the system, it does need to be replaced with something better.
Minimize Additional Security to High-Risk Points
As mentioned, with some companies or services, you simply need an extra level of security. This could be with the protection of sensitive information or the processing of financial transactions. You will often find these companies use features such as multi-factor authentication.
However, implementing layers of security at every single point can backfire under these circumstances as well. Such a move will only make it more time-consuming for your customers to get to their desired level. Instead, identify the areas in your system that are especially at risk of attack or infiltration. Then, utilize heavy security measures at these points only. This is where flexible tech like adaptive MFA comes into play.
Unlike the more traditional and rigid MFA, the adaptive version will only activate extra layers of authentication when risky logins are detected. This could be unknown devices, untrustworthy IP addresses, and more.
These are all the ways that you can strike a balance between improved network security and a user friendly experience. If you are upgrading your systems, you should consider all these points.
