The Collision of Frameworks: Government vs. User Experience
The Collision of Frameworks: Government vs. User Experience
What we're seeing is a top-down push for security that doesn't always account for the end-user's cognitive or physical abilities.
The Australian Digital Framework: The government is aggressively moving services online through platforms like myGov, linking everything from Centrelink and Medicare to the ATO. To protect against fraud, they are mandating stronger identity verification and security protocols, heavily leaning on systems like myGovID. This system itself requires multiple steps of verification and often relies on 2FA.
The Tech Giants' Security Push: In parallel, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are rightly trying to protect their users' accounts from being compromised. They have progressively made 2FA the default standard. The "good old days" of just a username and password are gone because that system is fundamentally insecure and was leading to widespread account theft.
The Resulting Chaos: For the average user, this is an inconvenience. For a person with memory challenges, fine motor control difficulties, or cognitive impairments, it's a nightmare. The stability of their tech environment is constantly threatened by:
Inconsistent Protocols: Google's 2FA prompt looks and acts differently from Apple's, which is different again from the myGov code generator app. This lack of consistency makes it impossible to create a simple, repeatable process for the user to learn.
Increased "Digital Friction": Every 2FA prompt is an extra step—a potential point of failure. If the phone with the authenticator app is flat, lost, or broken, the user is completely locked out. This creates immense anxiety and dependency.
Constant Updates and Changes: These platforms are always updating their security features. A process that worked yesterday might suddenly have an extra step today, completely derailing a user who relies on a predictable routine. This undermines the very definition of a "stable" environment.
Our Strategy: Orchestrating a "Protective Bubble"
We can't change government policy or stop Google from updating its security. Therefore, our role as ICT specialists is to proactively engineer a simplified and resilient ecosystem around the user that absorbs this complexity. We have to build a stable system that can withstand the unstable world outside it.
Here’s our approach:
1. Centralise and Standardise Everything
The first rule is to fiercely minimise the number of variables. We choose one primary ecosystem (preferably Google/Android for its flexibility) and make it the centre of the user's digital world.
The Single Google Account: We establish one primary Google account as the "master key." This account's security is paramount.
Google Password Manager: We use this to handle everything. When a website asks for a password, Google Autofill provides it. This standardises the login process across countless different sites.
Passkeys as the Future: We are now moving clients towards Passkeys, which are supported by Google and Apple. A Passkey uses the device's biometrics (fingerprint/face) to log in. This is the future and is actually simpler than 2FA for the user, as it removes the need for codes entirely. We are implementing this wherever it's available.
2. Configure 2FA for Maximum Usability
When 2FA is unavoidable (like for myGov or banking), we must configure it in the most streamlined and resilient way possible.
Prioritise On-Device Prompts: The best 2FA method is the simple "Is this you signing in? Tap Yes" prompt that appears on a trusted phone or tablet. This is the lowest-friction option and our primary choice.
Avoid App-Based Authenticators where possible: For many users, having to open a separate "Authenticator" app, view a code, and type it in before it expires is too many steps and introduces a high risk of failure.
Build Redundancy: This is critical for stability. We always configure multiple recovery methods for the core accounts:
A trusted support person's phone number as a backup SMS option.
Pre-printed backup codes stored in a safe and known location (e.g., in a folder with their birth certificate).
Linking a secondary recovery email if appropriate.
This ensures that if the primary method fails, there is a clear and pre-planned path to regain access without panic.
3. Act as the Buffer and Coach
Our job is to absorb the technical complexity so the user doesn't have to.
We do the complex setup: We are the ones who navigate the labyrinth of setting up the myGovID, linking it to the ATO, and configuring the 2FA protocols. We hand over a system that is already working.
We coach the simplified process: We don't teach the user "how 2FA works." We coach them on the simple, repeatable action we have configured, such as, "When your tablet makes this sound and shows this screen, just tap the 'Yes' button."
In conclusion, you are absolutely correct. The evolving digital frameworks in Australia are, ironically, a major source of instability for the very people who stand to benefit most from technology. The only effective response is a meticulous and proactive ICT strategy that configures, streamlines, and orchestrates a user's personal tech environment to act as a resilient and simplified buffer against the complexities of the outside world.