Face recognition for authentication: Crucial insights and the Imprivata advantage

Discover three key insights into facial biometrics -and see why Imprivata offers the most secure, user-friendly path to passwordless authentication.

As organizations shift away from traditional passwords toward more secure and user-friendly authentication methods, facial biometrics, aka face recognition, has emerged as a powerful solution. Read on for crucial insights on market challenges, barriers to adoption, and why the Imprivata approach can deliver the results your organization needs.

Market challenges addressed by face recognition and modern MFA

Traditional passwords are risky, costly, and cumbersome, which is why many organizations are poised to leave passwords behind. So, what's the replacement? Passwordless authentication methods like face recognition, stand-alone or in combination with other factors for multifactor authentication (MFA), solve for critical access issues, such as:

Credential compromise risk

Traditional passwords are highly vulnerable. Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report found compromised login credentials to be responsible for the data breaches executed with a variety of different cyberattacks, including 42% of system intrusion attacks, and 88% of basic web application attacks. But lost or stolen passwords can be prevented with passwordless solutions like facial biometrics.

Operational inefficiencies

Manual authentication is time-consuming. On average, passwordless solutions can save organizations 45 minutes per user per shift, significantly increasing productivity. Manual authentication can also grind productivity to a halt and create unnecessary costs when users get locked out and must contact their IT help desk. Gartner found that 40% of all help desk calls are related to passwords, and Forrester estimated that each password reset costs $70.

Third-party access threats

A 2025 research report, The state of third-party access in cybersecurity, found that nearly half (47%) of organizations experienced breaches involving third-party access in the past year, emphasizing the importance of robust access management solutions.

User experience challenges

Complex passwords and frequent resets negatively impact user satisfaction and productivity. Passwordless authentication with face recognition streamlines access and enhances user experience.

Shared device security

Traditional authentication methods are unwieldy and unsecure in environments where mobile devices are shared among multiple users. Biometric solutions provide secure, efficient access to shared devices, without shared credentials.

Solvable passwordless challenges

Without passwordless authentication, organizations remain exposed to cyber threats, suffer from inefficient workflows, and encounter escalating support and compliance costs. Imprivata addresses these challenges by offering frictionless, secure, and scalable identity and access solutions that are purpose-built for complex, regulated environments.

Here's why organizations may hesitate to address passwordless challenges, and how Imprivata helps to overcome them:

1. Legacy infrastructure and application compatibility

   The hesitation: Many organizations operate legacy systems that don't support modern authentication protocols like FIDO2, SAML, or OAuth. In particular, many industries, like healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation, rely on critical systems that require keyboard-based logins that prevent the adoption of biometric or token-based access without significant customization.

   How Imprivata helps:Imprivata solves these challenges through agent-based integrations, tap-and-go access, and face recognition authentication proven to work, even with non-standards-based applications.

2. Cost and resource constraints

   The hesitation: Upfront costs related to hardware tokens, biometric scanners, and identity platforms can discourage organizations from making the shift toward passwordless authentication. Smaller IT teams may lack the capacity to manage the planning, rollout, and support of passwordless initiatives.

   How Imprivata helps: Any upfront costs of the passwordless transition are typically offset by fewer help desk tickets, reduced risk of data breaches, and increased user productivity over time. The Imprivata Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) now supports face recognition, as does the SMS one-time password option, enabling password resets without IT involvement.

3. Lack of unified identity strategy

   The hesitation: Many organizations implement identity and access management (IAM) solutions piecemeal, leading to inconsistent authentication methods across systems. Without a centralized identity strategy, passwordless implementation becomes fragmented and hard to scale.

   How Imprivata helps: Imprivata offers a unified platform approach that integrates single sign-on (SSO) and strong authentication undera singular, seamless strategy for every user role, every complex workflow, and every device.

4. User resistance and change management

   The hesitation: Users accustomed to traditional password authentication may be resistant to changing their workflows, particularly those in high-pressure roles like clinicians or emergency responders. Furthermore, poor user training or lack of awareness can exacerbate adoption friction, even when new authentication methods are more secure and convenient.

   How Imprivata helps: Imprivata mitigates this with workflow-centric design that seamlessly integrates into clinical and operational workflows, making authentication fast and intuitive - for example, logging in to workstations and apps with the quick tap of a proximity badge.

5. Security and compliance misconceptions

   The hesitation: Some organizations see passwords as "good enough" or worry that passwordless technologies won't be compliant with regulatory bodies like HIPAA, PCI, and CJIS. Although, in reality, many regulatory bodies now recommend or even require multifactor or passwordless approaches for stronger identity assurance.

   How Imprivata helps:Imprivata solutions are purpose-built for compliance-heavy sectors, offering full audit trails and support for regulatory frameworks.

A detailed look at Imprivata face recognition

Imprivata face recognition is an advanced, camera-based, biometric authentication solution that grants access by analyzing facial features. Identities are securely validated by comparing captured images against enrolled face templates, while also detecting liveness to prevent spoofing.

Key benefits

• Enhanced security: face recognition is unique to each individual, preventing unauthorized access
• Convenient user experience: A simplified authentication process reduces friction and frustration
• Compliance: Face recognition serves as a critical "what you are" factor for multifactor authentication (MFA), ensuring regulatory compliance
• Scalability: Face recognition leverages readily available camera technology, simplifying widespread deployment

How Imprivata face recognition works

1. Face-matching

   Imprivata face recognition uses Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to create a unique facial template during enrollment, which is then compared against an authentication image.

2. Liveness detection

   Passive liveness detection technology verifies the authenticity of the presented face by analyzing factors like face sharpness and illumination.

3. Data capture, usage, and storage

• At enrollment, face recognition captures an image to generate a face template.
• Enrollment images and templates are stored in the Imprivata Cloud Platform (ICP) on AWS
• Authentication images are transient, processed in memory, and deleted after verification

1. Data security measures

• Encryption: Uses AES-256 for data at rest and TLS 1.2+ for data in transit
• Storage:Face images are stored in Amazon S3, and templates are in Amazon RDS
• Data retention:Enrollment images and templates are retained while services are in use, then are deleted upon termination

1. Consent management and bias reduction

   Imprivata includes features for consent management to maintain regulatory compliance. The system was developed using diverse training data to minimize demographic bias, achieving high accuracy across different population groups.

Why choose Imprivata?

Imprivata face recognition is a passwordless solution tailored to meet the demands of complex, regulated environments. A comprehensive, use-case centered approach ensures robust security, increased productivity, enhanced user experience, and strict compliance with regulatory standards.

By choosing Imprivata, organizations gain a best-in-class solution, effectively addressing the many challenges associated with modern authentication demands. Learn more about Imprivata face recognition and how it can help your organization achieve frictionless, secure authenticationby watching this on-demand overview and demo.