Frontline Worker Authentication
What Is frontline worker authentication?
Frontline worker authentication is the process of verifying a worker’s identity when they access workplace devices, systems, and applications. Authentication tools for frontline workers must be designed to fit fast-moving work across devices, applications, and user handovers. Recent survey research reports that authentication friction can have serious consequences, such as delaying patient care.
Survey respondents report that their frontline workers need safety and compliance systems access (60%), communication tools access (52%), timekeeping and workforce systems access (51%), and inventory or supply-chain systems access (49%). Authentication processes need to facilitate simple, secure access to all the systems and devices each role requires throughout every shift.
Authentication friction and frontline work
Authentication friction is anything that slows or blocks access. Ninety-five percent of organizations reported at least one frontline worker device access challenge. The three most-cited authentication challenges were delays switching between devices or workstations, delays switching between users on shared devices, and difficulty authenticating while wearing gloves or protective equipment (each reported by 27% of respondents). Other reported challenges included password resets or lockouts (reported by 26%), connectivity failures (25%), frequent re-authentication (23%), repeated MFA prompts (23%), forgotten credentials (22%), and slow logins (21%).
These authentication issues can cause workflow disruption. Organizations estimated that an average of 37% of frontline workers experience authentication issues in a typical month. Respondents estimated that affected frontline workers lose about 2.5 hours per month across an average of 11 interruptions, each lasting an estimated 14 minutes. Based on those estimates, the survey report calculates that the average organization loses 32,400 working hours per year to authentication interruptions.
| Reported effect | Share of organizations |
|---|---|
| Increased IT and service desk workload | 37% |
| Lost frontline worker productivity | 30% |
| Increased downtime | 26% |
| Increased security workarounds | 29% |
| Increased exposure to security incidents | 27% |
| Reduced ability to track user activity | 27% |
Authentication issues often have operational consequences, such as delayed medication rounds, stalled manufacturing production, and late deliveries. Forty percent of healthcare organizations reported delays to key frontline work, compared with 34% in manufacturing and 26% in other industries. These findings show why streamlined endpoint security matters beyond reducing sign-in time. Access problems can lead to shift interruptions that obstruct patient care, production, or service delivery.
Shared devices and individual authentication
The survey found that 83% of organizations use shared workstations or devices for frontline work, and half of those organizations said most or nearly all frontline workers use them. These findings show that frontline worker shared endpoints and shared mobile access are central to many key workflows. To keep work moving, shared device access needs to support fast, secure handovers. For example, the right authentication tool could let workers sign in to shared iPads and access a personalized experience, regardless of which device they use.
Sharing a device does not necessarily mean sharing an account, and in fact, shared accounts increase security risks. Thirty-eight percent of organizations said that all or nearly all of their frontline workers use unique credentials, while 61% still use shared or generic accounts to some extent. Reasons unique credentials were not used consistently included frequent user switching (39%), workflow barriers (38%), shared devices (38%), and endpoints or applications that do not support suitable methods (35%).
Access attribution means connecting an individual authentication or access event to the correct person. Only 40% of survey respondents were very confident access could be attributed to the correct, individually verified employee. The not-very-confident respondents cited shared devices or incomplete sign-out between users (43%), workers sharing credentials (37%), and shared or generic accounts (31%) as reasons attribution was challenging.
Passwordless adoption and authentication methods
Passwordless adoption remains in transition among the surveyed organizations. The survey found that 67% of organizations are password-based or inconsistent, 19% use a mix of password-based and passwordless methods, and 14% are passwordless-led. Twenty-eight percent use passkeys or FIDO-based authentication, but 45% of those organizations still use a password alongside them. Fifteen percent of all respondents said they use passkeys or FIDO without a traditional password.
Organizations using passwordless methods reported faster access (35%), faster switching between users or devices (31%), improved productivity (30%), and fewer reset or recovery requests (30%). Among organizations using passkeys without a password, respondents most often reported faster access (38%), improved productivity (36%), and improved visibility into individual user access (33%). Respondents cited competing priorities (26%), shared-device environments (25%), cost (23%), and legacy systems (22%) as barriers to expanding passwordless methods.
Organizations using phishable methods such as SMS one-time codes, authenticator app codes, and push approvals reported that 44% of frontline workers experienced authentication issues monthly, compared with 37% across all organizations. They also reported more confirmed unauthorized account-recovery, reset, or unlock attempts (37%, compared with 28% overall). The findings suggest that both passwordless and phishing-resistant methods can align security with access and productivity goals.
| Finding | Survey result |
|---|---|
| Organizations using passkeys or FIDO credentials | 28% |
| Passkey/FIDO users who also retain a password | 45% |
| All respondents using passkeys or FIDO without a traditional password | 15% |
| Organizations using passwordless methods that reported a benefit | 99% |
In the past year, 62% of organizations reported a confirmed or suspected unauthorized account-recovery, password-reset, or unlock attempt. Sixty percent reported a confirmed or suspected social-engineering attempt targeting the service desk, and 57% reported a confirmed or suspected AI-assisted or deepfake employee impersonation attempt. Forty-eight percent were very or extremely concerned about AI-enabled impersonation.
No single identity account check method was used by the majority of organizations. Respondents cited employee ID or badge checks (41%), email (40%), SMS (34%), biometric authentication (33%), and manager approval (32%). Twenty-eight percent said stronger help desk identity verification was a priority for the next 24 months.
Survey respondents reported their investment priorities for the next 24 months include:
- Biometrics (32%)
- Legacy system modernization (30%)
- Passkeys or FIDO (28%)
- Smart (proximity) badges (28%)
- Stronger help desk verification (28%)
When asked which improvement would have the greatest positive impact, respondents were split among several options, including more consistent authentication across devices and applications (15%), secure shared-device access (15%), stronger phishing protection (15%), better visibility into access (14%), and stronger account recovery or identity verification (14%). Organizations may also consider continuous authentication where their systems and workflows support it, though the survey did not assess its adoption or outcomes.
Frontline worker authentication should keep access points secure while supporting work continuity, productivity, and the ability to attribute activity to specific individuals. Imprivata Enterprise Access Management (EAM) supports frontline worker access across shared and individually assigned devices, using capabilities such as single sign-on, multifactor and passwordless authentication, fast user switching, identity verification, and analytics and reporting.