Pratik Koshiya

Beyond Passwords: A Human-Centric Blueprint for Secure, Productive, and Scalable Authentication.

Abstract:

Passwords remain the weakest link in enterprise security and a costly drag on productivity. Compromised credentials account for 20% of all breaches, with an average cost of $4.37M per incident. Beyond security, password issues generate 20–50% of IT help desk tickets and can cost a mid-sized company of 1,000 employees $90K–$180K annually in direct support, plus $540K–$675K in lost productivity. This persistent “password tax” underscores the need for change. 
This session makes the case for a human-centric approach to passwordless authentication. Drawing on case studies, it shows how deployments fail when organizations overlook employee workflows: one global firm neglected onboarding and created a “chicken-and-egg” login crisis, while a retail chain’s mobile authenticator rollout clashed with a “no personal phones” policy, driving insecure workarounds. 
The presentation outlines a collaborative framework where HR, IT, and business leaders map authentication journeys, address lifecycle challenges such as onboarding and recovery, and select technologies aligned with real-world workflows. By doing so, organizations unlock passwordless authentication’s promise: phishing-resistant security, frictionless productivity, and operational efficiency. 
Attendees will gain actionable strategies to design people-first authentication systems that scale across executives, frontline workers, and remote teams transforming passwordless adoption from a security upgrade into a business transformation. 

Profile:

Pratik Koshiya is a seasoned Cloud and Infrastructure Security Engineer with over a decade of expertise designing and implementing enterprise-grade security solutions across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. He specializes in developing Zero Trust architectures, advanced threat detection and response frameworks, and scalable secure systems that align with global compliance standards such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST 800-53, and PCI DSS. 
Currently serving as a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at Workday, Pratik partners with cross-functional teams to embed secure-by-design through deployment. His contributions include securing AI/ML infrastructure, driving endpoint hardening across macOS, Windows, and Linux, leading compliance readiness, and spearheading automation initiatives that streamline provisioning, secrets management, and RPA-driven processes. 
Earlier in his career, Pratik advanced through system and network administration roles at organizations including Genesys, Accela, GoGrid, SVtronics, GAP Inc., MCE Inc., and Avinashi Systems. Across these roles, he built a strong foundation in identity management, server administration, vulnerability management, endpoint protection, and network security engineering. 
In addition to his technical accomplishments, Pratik has published thought leadership on topics such as AI model security, adversarial techniques in finance, and human-centered risks in cybersecurity during remote work. He has also developed vendor risk management frameworks, incident response automation playbooks, and led large-scale cloud security posture management programs. 
Pratik holds a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Sarvajanik College of Engineering & Technology in India. He is also a CISSP-certified professional and a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).