In this edition of the Business Day Spotlight, we talk about the drawbacks of passwords in the digital economy that has technology firms around the world considering a “passwordless” future.

Our host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Richard Archdeacon, who head’s up Cisco’s advisory chief information security officer organisation for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia.

This discussion focuses on the history of passwords in digital environments; the benefits that first led to their wide use and adoption; the inefficiencies and threat that passwords systems face in the modern economy; alternative authentication methods - their benefits and drawbacks; ways in which criminals can exploit password systems; Cisco’s investment in cybersecurity; and the steps needed to get the world to a passwordless future.