Touchless Authentication for Health Professionals: Analyzing the Risks and Proposing Alternatives to Dirty Interfaces

Abstract

One of the most significant challenges for electronic services is ensuring that the person using a service is who they claim to be with an adequate level of trust. The user identity is confirmed through authentication. However, depending on the authentication method used, this process may not provide the expected security and is often bureaucratic. The authentication of healthcare professionals imposes additional challenges. For instance, they should not be exposed to touching peripherals nor remove their masks. This article presents: (i) a risk assessment of fraudulent authentication of health professionals; (ii) a proposal of authentication assurance levels for health professionals; (iii) a discussion of touchless authentication factors for health professionals; and (iv) an empirical evaluation of the proposals.