US consumers prefer passwords over biometric authentication methods

Six in 10 US users prefer using passwords to log on to online services from their devices, a recent survey shows.

Some 42% of respondents are worried about not being able to access online accounts through biometric authentication methods in case of a malfunction, while the same percentage do not want companies to collect, save and use personal data for logging on to online services.

Consumers also fear hackers could overcome biometric authentication methods ot log on to their accounts or that third parties could access biometric data if the device is lost.

Yougov on behalf of email portal mail.com surveyed 1,119 respondents in the USA in July 2016.

As HOT FOR SECURITY previously noted, some 42 percent of US adults said they trust governments to handle their biometric data. Organizations that consumers view as traditionally handling sensitive information, or those that serve important life functions such as hospitals and banks, are the most trusted, at 64 percent. A third of consumers are neutral on using these technologies due to a lack of understanding about the user experience, data security and overall value proposition. While fewer than half of US adults have used biometric technology, digital fingerprinting (29 percent) and voice recognition (13 percent) are the most widely used technologies.

This spring, global payments and technology company MasterCard has decided to use selfie photos and fingerprints to secure online payments and prevent fraud. The move comes after a pilot program launched in the US and Netherlands last June to help shoppers improve the security of their transactions by taking photos of themselves. Some 91% of companies plan to turn to advanced authentication to help manage access and gain trust of customers and business partners, according to PwC. Some businesses are developing and implementing more advanced on-premises authentication technologies such as biometrics.