JumpCloud Inc. today updated its Open Directory platform to include support for a passwordless login capability, dubbed JumpCloud Go, that leverages biometric authentication tools embedded in operating systems running on endpoints to further ensure security.

In addition, the company has added integrations with third-party identity service providers available in beta, remote access tools and a Dynamic Groups automation capability to enable IT teams to apply rules based on attributes to automate tasks.

Finally, JumpCloud has added Android support to its Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) offering based on its namesake directory.

Greg Armanini, vice president of product management for JumpCloud, said this latest update adds a proprietary passwordless authentication capability that is simpler for organizations to implement. In comparison, other passwordless authentication method requires organizations to integrate too many disparate components, resulting in fewer organizations employing passwordless authentication as a more secure alternative to traditional passwords that are easily compromised by phishing attacks, he added.

JumpCloud Go also provides a more secure approach to multifactor authentication (MFA) because it integrates with biometric authenticators such as Apple Touch ID and Windows Hello to provide another layer of end-user verification, noted Armanini.

In the longer term, JumpCloud is also committed to adding graph and generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to Open Directory to make it simpler to visually track authentication privileges and provide IT teams with easily understood summarizations of risks, he added.

Interest in passwordless authentication is rising because cybercriminals have become adept at stealing credentials. Social engineering techniques used in phishing attacks that trick end users into logging into fake websites have become increasingly sophisticated. In other cases, the passwords created are not strong enough to prevent cybercriminals from simply guessing what they are based on information about an end user that is widely available on social media. Regularly changing passwords is obviously a cybersecurity best practice, but end users typically continue to use variants of the same password to access multiple applications.

End users also frequently forget passwords, resulting in IT teams spending far too much time updating passwords that could be better spent on activities that return more value to the business. The majority of calls to a help desk still involve requests to update passwords.

Directories, of course, have been at the core of any effort to manage identities for decades. JumpCloud has been making a case for an alternative to Microsoft Active Directory that can be used on any platform. As organizations look to implement zero-trust IT policies based on identity, many are starting to revisit the directory platforms they rely on to grant access to applications and services. The challenge is that existing directories for managing passwords have been in place for decades, and legacy applications that rely on passwords for authentication today are not going away any time soon. As a result, most IT teams will find themselves managing a mix of passwords and passwordless approaches to authentication for many years to come.

Hopefully, however, the number of applications relying on passwords for authentication will steadily decline as they are retired in favor of more modern applications that have passwordless authentication capabilities baked in.