The Impact of Inefficient Access for Critical Industries and Frontline Workers

Ransomware attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure climbed 9% in 2024, with healthcare, manufacturing, and energy among the hardest hit sectors, according to the FBI. For organizations in these industries, cybersecurity isn’t just a technology problem, but a human one. The daily friction caused by inefficient access processes, such as complex passwords and clunky multifactor authentication (MFA), is slowing down frontline workers and expanding the attack surface.

Many critical industries still depend on legacy technologies running in hybrid environments. These systems were never designed for today’s distributed workforce or the speed and sophistication of modern threats, making them more difficult to secure.

In addition, shift-based professionals like clinicians, first responders, and line operators rely on shared workstations and mobile devices, but spend valuable time wrestling with cumbersome, manual logins across hybrid ecosystems. In healthcare alone, clinicians lose an average of 13 minutes per shift just logging in, time that could otherwise be devoted to patient care. Aside from slowing workers down, this inefficiency leads to user frustration, which in turn causes credential sharing and poor security practices, such as leaving shared workstations and devices logged in between uses.

The problem extends beyond employees. Research from Imprivata and the Ponemon Institute found that 47% of organizations experienced a third-party breach last year, often due to over-privileged vendor access. Manual provisioning and shared credentials create blind spots that IT can’t afford.

“End users are not IT admins,” said Imprivata Chief Technology Officer Joel Burleson-Davis in a recent interview with IdentityWeek.net, emphasizing that fast, secure access must be built around their workflow to ensure that authentication methods are effective.

Emerging solutions like passwordless authentication, Zero Trust network access, and user behavior and access analytics are redefining what’s possible for frontline workers. Tap-and-go badges, biometrics, and device-bound passkeys allow secure logins in seconds while reducing fatigue and risk. By making authentication frictionless and secure, organizations strengthen defenses without sacrificing productivity, helping strike a crucial balance in mission-critical work.

Learn how passwordless authentication can improve productivity, security, and usability for frontline teams.