According to a survey on internet security conducted by credit agency Experian, in terms of managing online accounts, three in five people (61%) believe biometric identification is either just as secure, or more secure, than the current system of passwords. This includes anything from e-mails and social media, to banking and pension log-ins.
The report added that UK adults are far more comfortable using biometric technology to access their online banking than their social media accounts – twice as much, 64% compared 32%.
Fingerprint scanning is the biometric identification most UK adults are comfortable with. Two fifths (40%) state they would be happy using fingerprint scanning to access online accounts.
Although there appears to be some reservations about retina scanning, nearly one in five (19%) would still be comfortable having their ID verified in this way. Similarly, nearly one in ten people (9%) would be comfortable with camera facial recognition as a form of identification, while one in twenty (5%) stating they would be happy using voice recognition technology to unlock their online accounts.
Overall, women are slightly less trusting of biometric technology, with 56% saying they believe it is just as secure, or more secure, than passwords, compared to 68% of men. However, they are more comfortable with finger print scanning than their male counterparts – 43% compared to 37%.
When it comes to retina scanning, younger users (18-34 year olds) are surprisingly the most sceptical of this form of ID verification, with only 14% saying they would be comfortable using it. Retina scanning is most popular with the older generation, with 22% of over-55s in favour of it.
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